Presidency sets the record straight, rubbishes Okudzeto’s claims on Akufo-Addo’s trips

Ablakwa’s claims are just propaganda, Presidency

Ablakwa goes hard on Akufo-Addo for flying private jet

The presidency has responded to some claims made by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu with regards to the president’s current trip to Belgium and Rwanda.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a Facebook post alleged that President Akufo-Addo’s current trip to Belgium and Rwanda is costing the taxpayer a whopping GH¢4 million.

According to Mr. Ablakwa, the President’s trips to Belgium, and subsequently to Rwanda were done via an Airbus ACJ319, registered D-Alex.

But a statement from the office of the president says these claims by the MP are inaccurate.

The statement signed by the Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin indicated that, the president did not travel to Begium aboard a chartered Airbus ACJ319 as is being claimed. According to him, the president boarded a flight using the Air France Commercial Flight (AF0584).

“President Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Sunday, 19th June 2022, to attend the 15th edition of the European Development Days Forum in Brussels, Belgium. It is public knowledge that President Akufo-Addo DID NOT travel to Belgium aboard a chartered Airbus ACJ319, as is being claimed by the North Tongu MP.

“The President travelled to Belgium onboard an Air France Commercial Flight (AF0584), which departed Accra on Sunday at 7:20pm, made a stop-over in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and then continued to Paris. In fact, all of President Akufo-Addo’s 12-member delegation travelled commercial,” the statement added.

With regards to the chartered flight, Eugene Arhin said Ghana’s Mission in Brussels had sent notice about an impending strike in the aviation sector in Belgium.

This was going to result in the cancellation of over three hundred (300) flights, including those from Brussels to Kigali.

“Belgium’s largest airport, Brussels Airport, was compelled to cancel all outgoing flights on Monday, 20th June, the day President Akufo-Addo arrived in Brussels, because employees at the airport had joined in an aviation strike.

“With the Presidency having been given prior information regarding the strike action before the President’s trip to Brussels, the option to travel using direct commercial flight from Brussels to Kigali was not available,” said.