“Such an action will, we believe, save Ghana million of dollars. Such an action will serve the best interest of our nation and the Armed Forces,” it said.
Parliament last week approved three loans for the purchase of aircraft for the Ghana Air Force but the Minority, which abstained from the voting to ratify the loans, has raised questions over the price of the aircraft, even though it has explained that it is not against the purchase of the aircraft in principle.
The loans are $105,370,177.09 to finance the purchase of one Embraer 190 aircraft and the construction of a hangar; 60,034,636 euros (about $80 million) to purchase two C295 aircraft and an 11,750 euros (about $17 million) for the purchase of two DA 42 MPP aircraft, all for the GAF.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament yesterday, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea, stated that while visiting flood victims at Atiwa, President John Evans Atta Mills made remarks that gave the impression that the Minority was against the equipping of the GAF.
”The Minority assures President Mills that we are not against equipping the GAF. We assure the GAF that we support the acquisition of suitable equipment for their operations,” he said.
Nana Akomea explained that the NPP government had, in March 2003, on the recommendations of the GAF, embarked on a similar acquisition of aircraft, namely, a Falcon, an Airbus and an MA 60, for the GAF.
He added that the then NPP government also provided for the GAF four M17 helicopters, four K8 combat aircraft and $60 million to upgrade their peacekeeping equipment.
He added that the NPP government also provided a modern ICT centre, the 1,500 seating capacity Burma Hall and accommodation at the Beijing Barracks, the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre, a modern Ministry of Defence building, $100 million for capacity building, completed the second phase of the modernisation of the 37 Military Hospital, increased the UN peacekeeping allowance from $16 to $32 per day, among others, for the GAF.
He stated that the Minority’s objection to the current loans was based mainly on the acquisition of the Embraer 190 aircraft, explaining that official information was that it was a military aircraft for troop transport.
“The Minority insists this is not true. We insist the Embraer 190 is basically a commercial airliner which the NDC government, at a great cost, is having configured as an executive jet,” he declared.
Nana Akomea explained that the 100-seater Embraer 190 was not suitable, by UN standards, to win contracts to lift the over 800 troops in Lebanon since that could only be done through several trips.
“The claim of military use of the Embraer 190 is, therefore, an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of Ghanaians,” he said.
Commenting on the price of the Embraer 190 and the construction of the hangar, he stated that the GAF, in 2008, gave out contracts for the building of standard aircraft hangars with standard features/provision of maintenance facility, stores, fire tenders and offices for crew and engineers, all at a cost of $5 million.
“We find it difficult to understand what other additions will bloat the cost two years later to $17 million,” he stated.
Nana Akomea said the government’s claim that it was buying the Embraer 190 at the basic price of $55,264,000 should be a source of worry to Ghanaians, since “the Minority believes that the Embraer 190’s basic price is overpriced and inflated”.
He stated that information available on Internet sites, which had not been contested by the manufacturers, put the basic price of the Embraer 190 at $32 million and $40 million for the top model.
He said based on the basic price of $32 million, a price tag of $88 million meant that the government ordered for additions that cost the Ghanaian taxpayer an additional $56 million, while, if one took the government’s stated basic price of $55.2 million, the additions ordered by the government cost the taxpayer an extra $33 million.
“The Minority strongly believes that these additions and extra cost for the Embraer 190 are excessive for a poor country like ours where millions of our people still lack basic needs such as food and shelter,” he said.
Asked what the Minority intended to do should the government fail to heed its call, Nana Akomea stated that since the loan would be paid by the taxpayer, it was expected that the electorate “will show the NDC where power lies’.
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