Foreign Affairs Ministry reveals why other Presidents use Ghana’s Presidential Jet
The instances where Ghana’s Presidential jet has been used by other African leaders have been explained and defended by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway.
She indicated that the gesture is in accordance with the tenets of good neighbourliness in regional integration and the promotion of peace and security within especially the West African Sub Region hence the usage of Ghana’s presidential jet by Presidents such as Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, and George Weah, President of Liberia.
She revealed this while responding to questions posed by MP for the North Tongu constituency Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Tuesday, December 7 2021.
The Foreign Affairs Minister further indicated that the usage of Ghans’s Presidential jet is also part of efforts to promote peace ad stability in the subregion which supersedes internal financial considerations.
“That decision had to be taken in the supreme interest of the West African Sub-region. It was to do with the coup in Guinea and also issues to do with Mali and, of course, the Sahel as well.”
“These decisions are taken because they are necessary. I believe cost is important, but it should take a backstage when the security of a nation is in jeopardy.”
Initially, the Ministry had described as a normal practice the occasional use of Ghana’s presidential jet by other presidents on the Sub Region.
They insisted that such assistance is part of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations among countries, and revealed that Ghanaian leaders have in the past also benefitted from such gestures.
This was contained in a statement to address concerns raised by Ablakwa over the use of Ghana’s presidential jet by the President of Liberia in September 2021, the Ministry maintained that Mr. Ablakwa’s “insular posture comes as a surprise”.
“In the light of the strenuous and concerted efforts by ECOWAS leaders to broker peace in the region, the Ministry finds it rather unfortunate that Hon. Okedezeto Ablakwa would seek to deliberately muddy the waters with these negative comments.”
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
