Ken Agyapong cites 2010 documents exposing Ablakwa’s private jet trips as Deputy Minister

Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong has fired a salvo at North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the latter’s attacks on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s luxurious private jet trips overseas.

Agyapong stressed that Ablakwa was not as clean as he was putting himself out because he had also previously chartered similar jet trips even in his capacity as a Deputy Minister.

Speaking on Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme earlier this week, Agyapong made reference to documents that exposed Ablakwa’s chartered trips in 2010.

“On February 15th, 2010, he departed and came back on February 17th, 2010 with a special flight. Okudzeto, what is a special or chartered flight?

March 7th, 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.

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 US18,000 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.