Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and MP for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has announced the Minority is seeking clarity on President John Dramani Mahama’s recent diplomatic trips using a chartered jet.
According to him, he and his colleague, Old Tafo MP, have formally filed a parliamentary question to the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs.
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh detailed that they are demanding answers on the circumstances under which the President travels, how contingents are chosen, and how these trips are funded.
The MP detailed that the Minority is concerned about transparency, funding, and the criteria for such travel.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh stated, “My colleague, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, and I have filed a question in this regard. We have catalogued all the travels of the president that have officially been communicated to Parliament.
“Now we are asking the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to come and brief us under what circumstances, what criteria, how he is traveling, who the contingents are, and how we are funding all these.
“When they come to respond to these questions, then we can come out with our position. For now, we are only observing and taking note,” he said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, some weeks ago explained why President John Dramani Mahama flew to the World Governments Summit in Dubai and then to Zambia on an aircraft provided by the President of the UAE.
According to Ablakwa, the aircraft being used by President John Mahama is not privately chartered by the presidency but was provided by world leaders eager to host President Mahama because he is in high demand.
Ablakwa detailed that the arrangement reflects the honour, demand, and prestige President Mahama currently enjoys on the international stage.
He further explained that several world leaders are keen to have him attend events and meetings in their countries.
Speaking in Zambia, where President Mahama met with members of the Ghanaian community, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated, “If you have seen in recent times attempts to say that President Mahama is probably falling in love with private jets, this is a different kind of private jet arrangement. It is because of the honour, the high demand, and the very great prestige that President Mahama has brought to the office of the President of Ghana. He is so well sought after and in such high demand that world leaders are not taking no for an answer”.
“They are not looking at his calendar or his schedule. Whatever they have to do to lift him, airlift him to their countries, and send him wherever he has to be next, they are doing that. And so for the record, that is the reason why you saw a different kind of jet here,“ Ablakwa noted.
The Minister added, “Those of you who were at the Airport with us, that explains it. I heard some of you say we are not seeing any Ghana flag on the Jet. It was a special Jet from the ruler of the UAE. It was a similar arrangement with Qatar.
“So we must all be proud. President Mahama has restored honour and prestige to the high office of President, and Ghana has taken its rightful place in the community of nations,” he added.