Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a former Deputy Minister of Communications
• Dominic Nitiwul justified why President Akufo-Addo opted for a different aircraft for his trip to France, Belgium and South Africa
• The aircraft according to Okudzeto Ablakwa charged £15,000-per-hour
• Kwakye Ofosu is not convinced by the answers from the Defence Minister
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a former Deputy Minister of Communications has opined that the answers proffered by Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, over President Akufo-Addo’s decision not to use the Falcon 900 EX Easy for his recent trip to France, Belgium and South Africa were not convincing.
Kwakye Ofosu reckons the responses by Nitiwul fell below expectation as he sought to justify the hiring of the £15,000-per-hour luxurious jet.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana program, Kwakye Ofosu said that Dominic Nitiwul attempted to create a picture of a president who is living in luxury whiles his citizens experience economic hardship.
He slammed the minister for the comment which sought to suggest that a reason the Falcon was ditched for the trip was that President Akufo-Addo could not take a shower in it.
“I didn’t look forward to any convincing answer from the Defence Minister because facts were known even before Defence Minister went to Parliament. I certainly did not expect some of the things the minister put out. The bit about the president bathing in the plane was completely unnecessary.
“It is important that public officials watch what they say. In these times, you cannot project an image of a president looking for greater comfort to rub salt in the injuries of Ghanaians smarting under severe economic hardship.
“Even as I did not look forward to any convincing answer, the response the minister gave fell below expectation and completely out of touch. I have read his statement several times and there are three things one can glean.
“First is he trying to give reasons for the resort to other measures. The other issue is that it is quite small and the third, he basically puts in a request for the purchase of what he considers to be a bigger and more suitable aircraft,” he said.
Dominic Nitiwul, who appeared before Parliament on Wednesday, June 16, following questions filed by Ablakwa over the state of the presidential aircraft enumerated a number of reasons why he believes the jet was not fit for purpose.
“In practical experience since the aircraft was acquired in 2010, whenever the aircraft is travelling to the eastern part of the United States or Asia, the aircraft will not load through more than eight plus the luggage. So it depends on where it is going and the payload with it.
“Secondly, I have also said the aircraft has to do refuelling stops, and also in this Covid-19, when you are travelling to multiple destinations like the President’s recent travel, the Falcon couldn’t have been taken because he would have had to do technical stops which are not desirable.
“Again, when he is travelling with more than 20 people for a business trip, as he has done and brought huge sums of money for this nation, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves.”