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Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu and ranking member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has questioned why Ghana’s presidential jet was flown non-stop to France for a flight time of over 6 hours even though government claims that the aircraft is unable to fly for long.

In a post on his Facebook page, Wednesday, 7th September, Okudzeto Ablakwa said: "It is instructive to note that contrary to what Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, would want us believe as per his earlier claims that the Presidential Jet is no longer fit to fly direct beyond 6 hours— a dubious claim which now stands discredited; the Presidential Jet on this latest trip was flown direct or non-stop for 6hours and 24minutes to Paris, France."

According to him, "Ghana’s Presidential Jet is still in France as at today the 7th of September, 2022 since landing at the Paris Le Bourget International Airport at 3:20pm on August 30, 2022".

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I can disclose with absolute certainty and without fear of contradiction that a few days before President Akufo-Addo’s current travel to The Netherlands and France, Ghana’s Presidential Jet — the Falcon 900EX was on Tuesday August 30, 2022 flown non-stop to France for a flight time of 6hours and 24minutes from Accra.

It is instructive to note that contrary to what Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, would want us believe as per his earlier claims that the Presidential Jet is no longer fit to fly direct beyond 6 hours— a dubious claim which now stands discredited; the Presidential Jet on this latest trip was flown direct or non-stop for 6hours and 24minutes to Paris, France.

Ghana’s Presidential Jet is still in France as at today the 7th of September, 2022 since landing at the Paris Le Bourget International Airport at 3:20pm on August 30, 2022.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo left Accra on the night of September 3, 2022 aboard KLM after delaying the commercial flight.

More fundamentally, government owes the Ghanaian people — who have every right to know — urgent and important clarifications on the following:

1) Who used the Presidential Jet to France and what is the purpose of the trip?

2) 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?

3) Will President Akufo-Addo exhibit some modicum of prudence and respect for his pledge to protect the public purse by returning home on the 10th of September, 2022 aboard Ghana’s Presidential Jet or the wastefulness will continue with the apparently needless multiple opaque flight arrangements?