Gabby and Ablakwa trade logic over Akufo-Addo’s GHS3.4 million luxury jet

Founder of the Danquah Institute and nephew of President Akufo-Addo, Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has jumped to the defence of the president on his alleged use of a luxurious private jet on his visit to Germany.

In a tweet he made on the evening of September 1, 2021, Mr Otchere-Darko described persons at the neck of President Akufo-Addo as people “who seasonally choose to know the cost of everything but the value of little”.

The lawyer premised his defence on the fact that Nana Addo’s travel to Germany for a week saw him returning with 1.5 million vaccines, among other investor-related items. It was his argument that that should be the focus of discussion and not the cost of his travel.

However, this claim of Gabby hasn’t gone without a rebuttal from the opposition NDC and a section of the Ghanaian public as they claim Germany would have given Ghana the vaccines even if the President had not travelled there. They also premised their argument on the fact that Germany had promised to offer Africa up to 70 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who revealed the cost of the president’s rental of the jet quizzed if regardless of the pledge by Chancellor Merkel, would she have refused to give Ghana the vaccines if the president had travelled there in Ghana’s Presidential jet.

Mr Ablakwa wrote on his Facebook page, “Adding insult to injury. Are we being told that if President Akufo-Addo had arrived in Berlin with Ghana’s Presidential Jet, Chancellor Merkel wouldn’t have gifted us with 1.5 million vaccines? Never mind that Germany had already pledged to donate 70 million vaccines to Africa.

“Couldn’t we have used the savings of some GHS3.4million from a more responsible and frugal travel option to buy additional vaccines in dignity as we strive towards herd immunity?

“We must have taken: ‘I shall protect the public purse’ too seriously,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, this is the second time President Akufo-Addo has come under fierce criticism for what the North Tongu MP describes as “luxurious presidential travel”. The ranking member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has called for a policy on presidential travels to prevent the abuse of public funds.

Source: Heizel Joshua | myactiveonline.com

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