Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, says the federal government has not made any determination on whether or not to buy a brand new presidential jet.
Talking on Prime Perception on Pleasure Prime on Saturday, August 23, she mentioned discussions on the matter are nonetheless ongoing.
“As authorities, we’re taking all of the feedback which might be coming round this explicit situation, to purchase or to not purchase a non-public jet. This isn’t the time to make any assertion on that situation,” she said.
Ms. Muslim clarified that the plane generally known as the “Presidential Jet” is definitely a Ghana Armed Forces airplane, at the moment present process upkeep in France, a matter the late Defence Minister had addressed on the ground of Parliament.
The delay in repairs, she mentioned, has left the President often counting on different preparations.
“In instances when that exact jet was not accessible, his brother’s jet was at hand to assist him guarantee he met his obligations,” she revealed.
She famous that debates over buying jets usually are not new, pointing to previous administrations. Below late President John Atta Mills, as an illustration, she mentioned the federal government selected a smaller plane after the earlier administration had already ordered two.
“The place of the NDC continues to be security and a few degree of consolation, aside from luxurious,” she mentioned.
The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson additionally touched on earlier statements by one of many panellists, Kwadwo Poku, who argued that if the nation spends over GH¢ 786 million to elect a president, then some degree of luxurious must be afforded.
Turning to the New Patriotic Occasion (NPP), she mentioned they need to not try and rewrite historical past to excuse previous actions.
“Unexpectedly, it will appear as if the NPP desires to justify all of the issues that went incorrect. The NPP had two phrases, with eight good years within the first time period and into the second time period. Throughout that interval, there was no politics surrounding the difficulty of luxurious personal jets. That may be a reality. There was by no means a problem. Why did that turn into a problem?”.
She linked the rising controversy to Ghana’s worsening financial circumstances underneath the earlier administration.
“By 2022, inflation had hit 54%. We had gone again to an IMF programme. On the time the President was asking all of us to tighten our belts, was that the time? And at the moment, Kwodwo Poku has advised us that every one these travels we’ve got been doing and signing MoUs have yielded no fruits for Ghana.
”Which implies that even our complaints, that the President then, when he wasn’t utilizing the state plane however opted to make use of an opulent plane, and Kwodwo Poku has simply advised us this morning that even with these travels, nothing got here by means of profit to Ghana. That even makes our concern extra poignant,” she mentioned.
“We should not make it seem like impulsively all of the wrongs and ills that all of us noticed concerning the profligacy of the outgone authorities may be justified,” she warned.
She argued that, in contrast to earlier administrations, President Mahama has been measured in his international journeys.
“Since he got here, he has turned down quite a lot of invites to journey. He’s travelling minimally compared, and he’s travelling extra prudently compared,” she famous.
Ms Muslim added that any future determination on presidential journey can be primarily based on necessity and accountability.
“If President Mahama must journey with a non-public jet, it’ll occur. The distinction can be that the mindset in securing that personal jet just isn’t about luxurious, however prudence,” she mentioned.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Feedback, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform don’t essentially characterize the views or coverage of Multimedia Group Restricted.
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