The Office of the President has described as inaccurate
assertions by Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency Samuel Okudzeto
Ablakwa that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo chartered
a luxurious flight to Brussels and Kigali at the expense of the Ghanaian
taxpayer.
A response issued by
Director of Communications Eugene Arhin on Friday, June 24 said the assertions
by the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) MP was only propaganda.
In giving the facts of the
matter, Mr Arhin indicated that prior to President Akufo-Addo’s departure from
Accra on Sunday, June 19, 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.
“In furtherance of this,
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.”
It explained that the
decision, therefore, to charter a flight for the President was to let him make
it to Kigali in time.
Find the response below:
