The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has lamented about the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s refusal to use the Presidential jet.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the President as incorrigible for choosing luxury and costly flights over the usage of the presidential jet. “Incorrigible President Akufo-Addo has done it again.”
According Okudzeto, the President after pretending he was a changed man by flying commercial on his last two trips to the US and the UK, has returned to his “grossly insensitive and reckless ways” of profligate traveling in ultra-luxurious charters.
“Probably thinking he will escape our unimpeachable surveillance if he switched companies, President Akufo-Addo on this occasion decided to abandon his favorite LX-DIO operated by Global Jet Luxembourg and opted for German based private jet operator — K5-Aviation. K5-Aviation has been licensed to operate their luxury fleet by the German National Aviation Authority (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, LBA) since June 2011.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The North Tongu Member of Parliament intimated that President Akufo-Addo as usual, ordered the “top-of-the-range and most expensive aircraft” in the jet operator’s collection called the Airbus ACJ319. “It is registered D-Alex. Its serial number is 5963, Type Code A319 and a Mode S of 3C70B8.”
Detailing the features of the jet, Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that being a more expensive luxury carrier, its oligarchic features include a master bedroom with double bed and connecting bathroom with shower; 2 additional bedrooms, 3 washrooms, Master bathroom with walk-in shower and an air Humidification system.
“… Airshow and 5 external cameras; Gogo 2Ku high speed Wi-Fi, up to 70 Mbit/sec for streaming and video calls (charged extra), video on demand and DVD including a 55” screen, music streaming, PlayStation, external cameras with tailfin view, airshow and a satellite phone.
“The 19-VVIP-passenger D-Alex is celebrated for its 5,600 nm=10,400 km range; equipped with 5 auxiliary center tanks for intercontinental range and non-stop flights up to 12 hours; Maximum take-off weight 76,500 kg and an impressive Maximum altitude of 41,000 ft=12,400m.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Jet costing Ghanaian taxpayer €20,000 an hour
Okudzeto Ablakwa further disclosed that the jet which he described as a “luxury monster” is costing the Ghanaian taxpayer €20,000 an hour, any time the President uses it. He stated that for President Akufo-Addo’s current trip to Belgium and Rwanda which began on Sunday, 19th 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, he 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 current exchange rate.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The North Tongu MP however, commended the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo for honorably flying to Kigali aboard Ghana’s Presidential Jet which took her some 4 hours and 49 minutes. He averred that the First Lady’s confidence in Ghana’s Presidential Jet is refreshing and deeply admirable and Ghanaians are exceedingly proud of her.
“It must definitely take a rare kind of insulting insensitivity for President Akufo-Addo to be this wasteful and obstinate at a time Ghanaians are facing a cost of living crisis.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
