Dominic Nitiwul is Minister for Defence
Claim:
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has said that his explanations on why the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, didn’t use the presidential jet for his recent trips included the fact that the president cannot take a bath in the plane.
The minister later submitted that his words were misconstrued.
Verdict: The claim is false
His claim is inaccurate
Explanation:
Dominic Nitiwul, who is the Minister of Defence, said two contradicting things within the spate of 24 hours.
First, on the back of revelations by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the minister was in Parliament to respond to questions.
He was to answer questions on why the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had opted for a predominantly more expensive private jet for his three-nation travels when the country’s falcon jet – the presidential jet, was not non-functional.
After reports emerged of his explanations in Parliament, the minister made a U-turn to say that the media “misconstrued” his explanations.
Verification:
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, was in Parliament on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, to answer questions on an urgent question tabled before the House by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The MP had claimed in a viral post on his Facebook page that the president, during his recent three-nations trips to France, Belgium and South Africa, use the services of an extremely expensive private jet when the country’s presidential jet could have been used for the same purpose.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that, “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.”
While in Parliament Dominic Nitiwul said:
Addressing Parliament on the airworthiness of the presidential jet, Dominic Nitiwul indicated that, the president cannot even take his shower on the aircraft.
“When he is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips that brought huge sums of money for this country, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves.”
“In fact, the president would also have to go a day ahead because no president can shower in this aircraft. He cannot move from this aircraft straight into a meeting.”
However, less than 24 hours after that, the Defence Minister came back to attack the media for what he said was “misconstrued” reportage on what he said.
In his exact words while on the Good Evening Ghana program on Metro TV on Thursday, June 17, 2021, he said:
“I said that no president using this aircraft can shower in this aircraft , no president can freshen up . I never said Akufo-Addo or John Mahama or Kuffuor. In fact three presidents have used this aircraft before. President Mills has used it. President Mahama has used it, Akufo-Addo has used it . I was very amazed that they chose the word ‘Akufo-Addo cannot shower’. Why couldn’t they say President Mahama couldn’t? “Why couldn’t they say President Mills could not shower in? That is why I said this is pure mischief and propaganda.
“I said no president and so why did they pick Akufo-Addo’s name? What is the motivation to pick Akufo-Addo’s name? Were they trying to ridicule him to the people of Ghana?”
Conclusions:
The evidence available all point to the fact that indeed, the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, did say that it was not possible for the president to shower in the falcon jet.
His claim, by the GhanaWeb FactCheck desk, is therefore concluded to be False.