Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a governance expert has expressed misgivings over the timing of the government’s decision to acquire a new presidential jet.
He said he was not aware of any serious situation that would warrant the acquisition of a new presidential jet and urged the Presidency to be sensitive to the citizenry.
“Currently, I am not aware of any serious situation that warrants the acquisition of a new presidential jet. I think the Presidency should be sensitive to the people and if I was to advise the Presidency, this is not the time to acquire a new jet because the nation is not in normal times,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah intimated.
According to him, the timing was not appropriate especially when the nation had so many issues facing her and asked why the Presidency wanted to acquire a new presidential jet at this point in time.
The government announced it had started processes of procuring a new bigger presidential jet when Eugene Arhin, Communications Director at the Presidency, revealed the Minister for the Interior has already commenced processes to acquire the new jet to save the country from costs at this point in time.
However, Prof. Agyeman-Duah stated that “I think the timing is not appropriate, especially when we have so many issues facing us as a nation I am also asking why at this point in time does the presidency wants to acquire a new jet”.
But Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu in the Volta Region, criticised the move describing it a misplaced priority and raised concerns over the government decision of purchasing a new presidential jet as the world was grappling with financial impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
He said Ghana was the only country in the world that in midst of a pandemic was thinking about buying a new presidential jet and yet vaccines had not been adequately acquired to assure herd immunity and maintained that the current jet was in good shape and there was nothing wrong with it.
Mr Ablakwa said last week, the Liberian President George Weah used it twice because the jet had a minimum lifespan of 20 years and was nowhere near that. He was outraged, livid and disappointed at the lack of commitment of Presidency to the needs and plight of Ghanaians. –starrfm.com.gh
