I can’t reveal cost of Akufo-Addo’s travels by private jet - Kan Dapaah tells parliament

According to him, the information that the North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is seeking about the President’s travels is an undisclosable secret.

The lawmaker had filed a motion in parliament to get some answers from the minister on how much of the poor taxpayer is being burdened with as a result of the president’s decision to abandon the presidential jet and hire expensive private jets instead for his foreign travels.

However, answering the questions in parliament, Kan Dapaah only reiterated the earlier advice given him by former minister of State in Charge of National Security Bryan Acheampong not to reveal the information, claiming it is top-secret.

“Mr Speaker, recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa by President Akufo-Addo are paid for out of the operational funds from the Ministry of National Security. Mr Speaker payments out of the ministry’s operational funds are glued with rules of confidentiality and state secrecy and it is not the normal practice…to make the suggested disclosures,” Kan Dapaah said.

President Akufo-Addo’s trips to France, Belgium and South Africa using a chartered luxurious private jet have sparked angry reactions among the Ghanaian populace especially as his government is seeking to impose more taxes on electronic transactions (E-levy).

It is reported that the private jets cost $14, 000 an hour, and cumulatively, over GH¢15 million of the taxpayer’s money has been spent on the above-mentioned trips.

Kan Dapaah added that the president’s travel costs are from the operational funds of the National Security Ministry, hence the need to classify it a top-secret.

In an earlier attempt to justify the president’s travels by private jets, Defence minister Dominic Ntiwul said the nation’s presidential jet cannot provide the comfort the president needs especially bathing inside.