Akufo-Addo spends GH¢4.1 million on latest ultra-luxury private jet charter – Ablakwa alleges

North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has alleged that President Nana Ado Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reverted to the use of ultra-luxurious charters for trips abroad.

The MP who is also a Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee has subsequently slammed the President for insensitivity, recklessness and undue profligacy for his latest private jet charter.

According to Ablakwa, Akufo-Addo used a private jet for two recent trips, to Belgium and Rwanda; which trips are costing the Ghanaian taxpayer €480,000, equivalent to GH¢4.1 million Ghana cedis.

Akufo-Addo switches operators

In a June 23, 2022 post on his social media handle, the lawmaker also disclosed that the president had switched from his preferred Luxemburg-based flier to a German-based operator.

“Probably thinking he will escape our unimpeachable surveillance if he switched companies, President Akufo-Addo on this occasion decided to abandon his favourite LX-DIO operated by Global Jet Luxembourg and opted for German-based private jet operator — K5-Aviation.

“As usual, President Akufo-Addo ordered their top-of-the-range and most expensive aircraft in their collection — the Airbus ACJ319. It is registered D-Alex,” his post read in part.

Cost of trip to Belgium, Rwanda

Touching on the cost component of the trip, Ablakwa noted that the taxpayer was paying €20,000 per hour for the service. The total flight time of some 21 hours he added, came up to €480,000.

“This luxury monster is costing the Ghanaian taxpayer €20,000 an hour.

“For President Akufo-Addo’s current trip to Belgium and Rwanda beginning Sunday the 19th of June, 2022 to attend the 15th Edition of the European Development Days Forum in Brussels, Belgium, and the 26th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations in Kigali, Rwanda; we can confirm a conservative bill of €480,000.00.

“The 480,000 Euros which is derived from 21 hours of total flight time plus other industry charges works out to some 4.1million Ghana Cedis at the current exchange rate,” his post stressed.

Presidential jet to undergo repairs

The most recent update on the presidential jet was in late May 2022 when Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul announced that the jet was due to undergo repairs in France.

Speaking to Accra-based Joy FM, Nitiwul said “By the end of this month, we will not have a presidential jet because the one we have is going to France for re-service; it’s one of the reasons the President will not use it for four to five months.”

North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has been religiously tracking the president’s travels which he described as ultra-luxurious disclosing that he mostly used chartered luxury jets that cost the taxpayer millions of cedis.

Akufo-Addo, Rebecca in Kigali for Commonwealth Summit

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo arrived in the Rwandan capital, Kigali on the evening of Wednesday, June 22, 2022, to attend the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM 2022.

He arrived from Brussels where he attended a European Union summit.

Earlier the same day, postings on Rwandan state media portals showed the arrival of First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo who used a Ghana AirForce jet for the trip.