Ablakwa fires back over presidential het fiasco
The ongoing controversy surrounding Ghana’s presidential travels has taken a new twist as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has launched a spirited defence of his oversight record.
His response follows criticisms over President John Dramani Mahama’s travel to Japan, which left him stranded in Dubai for more than 22 hours.
Ablakwa Defends His Legacy
In a strongly worded statement, Ablakwa declared: “I remain extremely proud of my parliamentary oversight as Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, particularly on my legislative scrutiny of presidential travels. My principled position has not changed and will not change. It has always been for God and Country.”
He drew comparisons with the past, pointing to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s own stance while in opposition.
According to Ablakwa: “I am quite certain former President Akufo-Addo is also proud of the forceful arguments he made in Parliament as Ranking Member, specifically on 15th February, 2000 opposing plans by President Rawlings to purchase a new executive jet primarily on the basis that it wasn’t a priority.”
“Ironically, his misguided hirelings and minions vilifying me conveniently conceal former President Akufo-Addo’s documented track record.”
Challenging the change in Akufo-Addo’s conduct when he became president, Ablakwa asked: “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? Why is Akufo-Addo’s conduct in 2000 commendable but my conduct between 2021 and 2024 condemnable?”
No Regrets Over Jet Campaign
The Foreign Affairs Minister remained unapologetic about his campaign against Akufo-Addo’s use of luxury charters.
“Let me emphasize for the avoidance of doubt, I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever for leading a long-drawn-out successful patriotic campaign against former President Akufo-Addo’s unjustified, wasteful and extremely reckless ostentatious charter of ultra-luxury jets for US$18,000 an hour, particularly at a time Ghana’s presidential jet was available and in pristine condition,” Ablakwa stated.
He stressed that his motivation was purely patriotic, adding: “My oversight mandate was strictly inspired by the national interest and the patriotic objective of protecting the public purse — consistent with former President Akufo-Addo’s own eloquent pledge.”
Dismissing Calls for Resignation
In response to demands for him to resign or apologize, Ablakwa fired back: “I owe no one an apology for leading this consequential and noble oversight to protect taxpayers — I am confident the vast majority of Ghanaians are appreciative of my sacrifices — this is a legacy I will forever cherish. I did it in good conscience for my country and not for the praises of those who cannot look beyond their stomachs.”
He described such calls as comical, saying: “It is really comical that the very people demanding of me to apologize or resign are the same people trying so hard to emulate my actions — the overwhelming verdict by Ghanaians, however, is that, so far, the ‘wannabes’ have been spectacularly disastrous. In all humility, I am now inundated with appeals from well-meaning Ghanaians asking that I urgently organize a workshop for the disgraced MPs. That is what happens when you are not motivated by truth, patriotism, diligence, principle, sincerity and the national interest.”
“Akufo-Addo Was Forced to Stop”
Okudzeto Ablakwa argued that his pressure campaign eventually forced Akufo-Addo to abandon chartered jets.
“I was long vindicated when President Akufo-Addo reluctantly listened to me and the good people of Ghana who were justifiably outraged by his profligate conduct and therefore had to stop the practice of renting ultra-luxury executive jets at taxpayer expense in his final year in office,” he said.
He added: “The dishonest hirelings would want us to forget that from the second half of 2023, all the way to the end of his tenure on January 6, 2025, President Akufo-Addo abandoned chartered travels and resorted to the use of Ghana’s Presidential Jet. Indeed, I had occasion to commend President Akufo-Addo for the positive change of mind — even though many have argued that he stopped the extravagant rentals because Ghana became bankrupt and went in for a $3billion IMF bailout under stringent conditions.”
According to him, that decision vindicated his stance: “That President Akufo-Addo relied exclusively on Ghana’s Presidential Jet for over 18 months until he left office confirms that I wasn’t wrong when I insisted that the Presidential Jet which was purchased by President Kufuor in 2008 for US$37million and used by the previous Mills and Mahama presidencies was fit for purpose.”
Jet Fit for Use
He further reminded Ghanaians that other African leaders used Ghana’s jet when Akufo-Addo refused to.
“This is why during the period President Akufo-Addo refused to use the presidential jet, other African presidents were happy to make good use of it,” he said.
He backed his position with parliamentary records: “It ought to be recalled that when I filed parliamentary questions on the status of the Presidential Jet in June 2021, both the former Ministers of Defence and National Security (Hon. Dominic Nitiwul and Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah) confirmed that the jet was in great condition and was airworthy. The only bizarre concern raised by the former Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul in Parliament was about how President Akufo-Addo could not shower in the presidential jet.”
Warning Against False Equivalences
Okudzeto Ablakwa lashed out at critics attempting to justify Akufo-Addo’s actions.
“The ridiculous attempts to equalize based on unscrupulous falsehoods in a futile effort at whitewashing President Akufo-Addo who ought to have remembered his fierce criticism of President Rawlings is not only insulting but has already failed. The intelligence of Ghanaians should not be underestimated.”
He went further to link reckless spending to Ghana’s economic woes: “If the Akufo-Addo administration had listened to some of us much earlier on matters such as this profligate chartered jet travels which cost taxpayers over GHS120million, the US$97million wasted on the cathedral pit, the many inflated single sourced contracts and the numerous state capture scandals, Ghana could have avoided bankruptcy and the painful financial haircuts we had to suffer.”
Taking a swipe at global comparisons, he said: “It is instructive and embarrassing to note that none of the leaders of the countries Ghana owes and is begging them for debt restructuring because the Akufo-Addo administration defaulted after mismanaging the economy do not abandon their presidential jets for luxury charters. Most of these countries actually have a presidential travel policy which demands that taxpayers are reimbursed if their presidents use the presidential jet for non-official or campaign purposes.”
Closing Shots
In what appeared to be a dig at critics confusing aircraft types, Ablakwa remarked: “And by the way, can someone inform the cacophonous illogical propagandists that there’s a world of difference between jets and helicopters.”
He ended his statement by pledging fidelity to the NDC government’s principles: “President Mahama’s government will continue to reset Ghana with truth, modesty, frugality and deep respect for the Ghanaian people. For God and Country. Ghana First.”
Background
Okudzeto Ablakwa’s fiery response comes after critics accused him of hypocrisy, recalling his pledge to resign if any government he served in resorted to chartering luxury jets. His silence over President Mahama’s recent travel difficulties, coupled with earlier controversies such as Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s return on a chartered flight, has fueled criticism from the opposition.
However, by quoting records and drawing parallels with Akufo-Addo’s past, Ablakwa insists his legacy in scrutinizing presidential travel remains intact — even as the debate over whether Ghana should purchase a new presidential jet resurfaces
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