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North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has denied claims he chartered private jets for international trips in his capacity as a Deputy Minister.
According to him, Kennedy Agyapong’s allegations are hallucinations and obvious fabrication, adding that he is ready to share his passport and travel records for verification with the press.
His post is in reference to claims by the Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong that he (Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa) was not as clean as he was putting himself out because he had also previously chartered similar jets for trips even in his capacity as a Deputy Minister.
Speaking on Oman FM’s ‘Boiling Point’ earlier this week, Agyapong made reference to documents that exposed Ablakwa’s chartered trips in 2010.
“On February 15, 2010, he departed and came back on February 17, 2010 with a special flight. Okudzeto, what is a special or chartered flight?
“March 7, Okudzeto Ablakwa left the country again with EK-782 which is Emirates, and came back on March, 11; with another jet called EK-781,” Agyapong quoted from the said documents.
In reacting to this, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a Twitter post, described Kennedy Agyapong’s allegations as “demented rants, hallucinations and obvious fabrications.”
He added that he will remain focused in the service of God and the country without any fear or intimidation.
Below is his tweet
Ablakwa’s ‘fight’ against Akufo-Addo’s luxury jet travels
Ablakwa has been championing a dogged reportage on the purported costs of presidential travels via private jet since last year.
According to the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Akufo-Addo opts for ultra-luxury charters despite the fact that there is a presidential jet that remains in pristine condition.
In his most recent post on the travels, Ablakwa disclosed thus: “President Akufo-Addo has for the umpteenth time ignored the precarious state of the Ghanaian economy and abandoned Ghana’s US$36million Presidential Jet in favour of his most cherished ultra-luxury toy — the LX-DIO which now rents for US$18,000 an hour.
“It is clearly a helpless costly addiction which sadly, the Ghanaian taxpayer must pay for. The President’s latest misconduct appears to be the most deceptive thus far.”
On the issue of the costs of the 10-day overseas trip, he said: “It is imperative to note that so far, the Ghanaian taxpayer must cough up an astronomical US$465,000 in luxury rental charges. At current exchange, that is a scary GHS3,505,515.49.
“This will mean that since May last year, the Ghanaian taxpayer has spent at least GHS28.5million on President Akufo-Addo’s ostentatious travels.”
Government has defended the private jet travels stating that the presidential jet was not suited for long-haul flights. Plans are also afoot to purchase a new presidential jet, the Presidency announced last year.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
