Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has firmly defended his long-standing scrutiny of presidential travels during his tenure as the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, describing it as a proud legacy done in service to “God and Country.”
In a detailed statement shared on his official Facebook page titled “The Presidential Jet Debate — My Proud Legacy for God and Country and Why Dishonest Spin and Hate Campaigns Cannot Defeat Truth,” Hon. Ablakwa reiterated his unwavering commitment to protecting the public purse, especially in light of what he described as “unjustified and wasteful” chartering of luxury jets by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Hon. Ablakwa referenced former President Akufo-Addo’s own past parliamentary record opposing the acquisition of an executive jet under President Rawlings in 2000 — a stance he described as both principled and ironic, given the later conduct of the former president.
“Former President Akufo-Addo didn’t think President Rawlings’ presidential jet acquisition should be exempt from the principles of prioritization, prudence, value for money and transparency — so what changed when he became President 17 years later?” he questioned.
He highlighted that his campaign against the luxury chartering of jets, which reportedly cost taxpayers US$18,000 per hour, was conducted in good faith and in accordance with the public interest. Ablakwa maintained that Ghana’s presidential jet, acquired in 2008 under President Kufuor and used by Presidents Mills and Mahama, was fully functional and fit for purpose throughout Akufo-Addo’s administration.
“I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever for leading a long-drawn-out successful patriotic campaign… This is a legacy I will forever cherish,” he said, stressing that the oversight was not for praise, but out of duty to Ghanaians.
The Minister went further to point out that former President Akufo-Addo, in the final 18 months of his tenure, abandoned the practice of chartering jets and returned to using the presidential aircraft. According to Ablakwa, this shift was a vindication of his campaign and advocacy.
While some critics have called for Ablakwa to apologize or resign, he dismissed such calls as politically motivated and “comical,” adding that attempts to imitate his oversight by others have been “spectacularly disastrous.”
He also used the opportunity to criticize broader government spending decisions under Akufo-Addo’s leadership, including the controversial National Cathedral project and alleged inflated contracts, arguing that more prudent management could have prevented the nation’s economic crisis and subsequent IMF bailout.
Hon. Ablakwa concluded by reaffirming the Mahama-led government’s commitment to what he described as a new era of “truth, modesty, frugality and deep respect for the Ghanaian people.”
Source; www.leakyghana.com
Enock Akonnor is an experienced Ghanaian journalist, based in Kumasi and currently serves as the CEO and Managing Editor of www.leakyghana.com.
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