Afenyo-Markin wants Okudzeto Ablakwa to stop talking about the president’s trip
• The MP for Effutu and Deputy Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin has called on Okudzeto Ablakwa to pull brakes on his allegations about the president
• He said the North Tongu MP should wait until his urgent question in Parliament is tabled
• Okudzeto has accused Akufo-Addo of profligate spending while using a private jet service
Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, has queried Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the MP for North Tongu, telling him to refrain from making a fuss about the alleged use of a luxurious chartered flight by the president.
He explained that while the House awaits to admit his colleague’s urgent question, he should not be seen running around, spreading further information about the matter involving President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Besides, the Effutu Member of Parliament explained that the practice of dealing with matters of such nature in the public at the same time seeking audience in Parliament is harmful to the growth of democracy, reports citinewsroom.com.
Last week, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa gave indications that he had filed an urgent question on the said matter although it is yet to be programmed into the proceeding of Parliament.
In his allegations that have received a lot of national attention since he shared them, the MP said that the president spent an amount of GHS 2.8 million on his recent travels to South Africa and France only, being costs from using the services of a private jet.
“The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet. The manufacturers describe it as “the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets.” It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately £15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it”, Okudzeto stated in his Facebook post.
Additionally, he accused the president of blowing the money “to satisfy his insatiable appetite and comfort at the expense of the suffering masses”.
But, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has called on Okudzeto Ablakwa to respect the procedures of Parliament as his actions are not healthy for the progress of the House.
“Admission of questions is the sole mandate of the Speaker, and in fact, that is the basis upon which the jurisprudence of Parliament is mounted. You file a question, you are not sure whether it has been admitted or not, then you go out there in the media litigating the matter. So, at the end of the day, if the question is not admissible, who do you blame? The Speaker or you will say you are being gagged?
“I am saying that it is important that as MPs we will respect our own rules of engagement and create an atmosphere where the debate will be enriched, but this one-way approach and leaking things to the press and somebody has written a letter of resignation which hasn’t even gotten to the recipient, but it is already in the media, what are you seeking to achieve?” he questioned.