Presidential Jet flew to France for major repairs – Eugene Arhin Asserts
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, has revealed that Ghana’s presidential jet only flew to France for long overdue repair works.
Mr. Arhin’s disclosure is in response to claims made by Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, regarding the jet’s supposed usage by unknown persons in France on August 30, ahead of the president’s visit to the Netherlands and France on August 31.
In a social media post, he described the MP’s claim as overzealous enthusiastic scrutiny of the president’s foreign travels.
He insisted that the MP’s latest epistles accusing the president of lavish expenditure by flying privately to the same location of the jet’s current location in France is inaccurate, but it’s due for repair works which will be completed in December.
“Contrary to the insinuations being cast by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, no one ‘used the Presidential Jet to France’, and no one is using the Presidential Jet in France. The only persons who flew the jet to France are the crew made up of pilots from the Ghana Air Force”.
“Indeed, the Presidential Jet departed Ghana on August 30 to France for major repair works to be carried out on it – repair works which are very much long overdue. The Air Force has indicated that the Presidential Jet will be out of service for a total of four (4) months and will return to Ghana and be available for use in December. It will be recalled that in May this year, the Minister for Defence, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul alerted Ghanaians to the fact that the Presidential Jet would be flown to France for major repair works to be undertaken on it,” a portion of the post on social media read.
The ranking member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, August 31, questioned why Ghana’s presidential jet was flown non-stop to France for a flight time of over 6 hours, contrary to claims that the aircraft cannot fly long haul.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the flight happened days before the visit of President Akufo-Addo to the Netherlands and France.
“Why did government not pursue judiciousness and frugality by harmonizing both travels to save taxpayer funds, particularly in this period of IMF bailout economic crisis, especially considering that the Presidential Jet flew to the same enclave within the same week of the President’s travel?” he quizzed.
But the Communications Director entreated the MP “to minimize his penchant for engaging in propaganda regarding the Presidential Jet, to avoid further embarrassments to his person”.