Dominic Nitiwul is Minister for Defence
Claim:
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has said that his explanations on why the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, didn’t use the presidential jet for his recent trips have been misconstrued by the media.
Verdict: The claim is true.
Explanation:
On the back of revelations by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa about the luxurious private jet that allegedly cost £15,000 per hour, the minister was in Parliament to respond to questions.
He was to answer questions on why the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had opted for a predominantly more expensive private jet for his three-nation travels when the country’s falcon jet – the presidential jet, was not non-functional.
Watch and listen to what he said in this Parliament of Ghana video. Start video from 22 minutes:
After reports emerged of his explanations in Parliament, the minister reacted, stating that the media “misconstrued” his explanations.
He explained that his response to the subject of showering in the jet was not in reference to the current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Again, watch the minister as he provides further clarification and defense to his initial comments from Parliament. This was on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana.
Watch from 4 minutes:
Verification:
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, was in Parliament on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, to answer questions on an urgent question tabled before the House by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The MP had claimed in a viral post on his Facebook page that the president, during his recent three-nations trips to France, Belgium and South Africa, used the services of an extremely expensive private jet when the country’s presidential jet could have been used for the same purpose.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that, “The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet.
“The manufacturers describe it as “the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets.” It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately £15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it.”
While in Parliament, Dominic Nitiwul said:
“When he is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips that brought huge sums of money for this country, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves.
“In fact, the president would also have to go a day ahead because no president can shower in this aircraft. He cannot move from this aircraft straight into a meeting.”
Following media reports on his submissions, he clarified his previous statements on the Good Evening Ghana program on Metro TV on Thursday, June 17, 2021,
“I said that no president using this aircraft can shower in this aircraft, no president can freshen up. I never said Akufo-Addo or John Mahama or Mills. In fact, three presidents have used this aircraft before. President Mills has used it. President Mahama has used it, Akufo-Addo has used it. I was very amazed that they chose the word ‘Akufo-Addo cannot shower’. Why couldn’t they say President Mahama couldn’t? “Why couldn’t they say President Mills could not shower in? That is why I said this is pure mischief and propaganda.
“I said no president and so why did they pick Akufo-Addo’s name? What is the motivation to pick Akufo-Addo’s name? Were they trying to ridicule him to the people of Ghana?”
Conclusions:
The evidence available all points to the fact that indeed, the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, did NOT specifically mention President Akufo-Addo’s name in his submissions. He stated ‘NO PRESIDENT’ can shower in this aircraft – referring to the Falcon jet.
The claim that Dominic Nitiwul did not say that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot bath in the falcon jet is therefore concluded to be True by the GhanaWeb FactCheck desk.