Ghana ‘technically’ doesn’t have a presidential jet – NPP MP explains why

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Ghana's presidential jet arrives on the tarmac in Liberia, MonroviaGhana’s presidential jet arrives on the tarmac in Liberia, Monrovia

Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party, has said Ghana technically does not have a presidential jet.

Appiah-Kubi, who is also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee argues that the current jet was one that was available to the president and for other national assignments as and when necessary.

For him, the fact that the Dassault Falcon 900 EXE was not meant for the exclusive use of the president meant that it could not be classified as a presidential jet.

“In the past, peacekeepers have used the jet … people like me have sat in the Presidential jet to go to Abuja as CEO of Free Zones Board

“When the president uses a jet so designed for the president to use, it doesn’t make it a presidential jet. I would even support that we should even buy commercial jets. If we need to buy a jet now as per the timetable of the airforce including the presidential travels, why not?” he submitted in an interview on Joy News channel’s UpFront programme earlier this week.

Asked about plans by the government to acquire a new jet for use by the president, he stated that to the extent that the Falcon remained unsafe and unfit for purpose, it was imperative to get a new one.

“The falcon has proven to be unreliable and unsafe, when the president had to fly back to Washington, he had to fly back per another jet. It is not fit for purpose for now and it is also not safe,” he stressed.

He also disputed figures put out by Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs and MP for North Tongu, relative to the cost of presidential travels.

“We can’t take figures from him (Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa) as authentic, the nature of the game is evidence, has he given you any evidence? No. I will dispute any information coming from him… did he attach any evidence? The answer is no,” he said.

According to Okudzeto Ablakwa, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has spent in excess of 10 million cedis on luxurious jets in three recent trips to Europe and America. He added that the president opted for expensive charters despite Ghana’s presidential jet being in pristine condition.

Minister of Defence on the need for new presidential jet

Dominic Nitiwul, Minister of Defence, in June 2021, appeared before Parliamentarians to answer Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s question on the presidential jet.

In his response, the minister indicated that the current jet was safe but also that the time was ripe for the nation to acquire a new and befitting presidential jet. The Falcon 900 EX-Easy aircraft, he said, was not fit for purpose.

“The capacity of the current Falcon aircraft is far below that of Fokker 28 which flew very, very important persons of more than 25 passengers during the Acheampong, Akuffo, Rawlings and Kufuor eras hence the urgent need for an appropriate aircraft which can carry a better payload in terms of passengers of 70 to 100 people and to carry all their baggage without affecting the performance of the aircraft.”

He noted, the presidential jet – Falcon 900 Ex-Easy – could only carry 11 passengers minus the crew and it often had to do “undesirable refuelling stops at unintended destinations” during long hauls, causing inconvenience to both the President and the host countries.

Nitiwul stated that, to avert such inconveniences, the use of the chartered private jet was critical as it could carry more passengers and fly long distances without making stops to refuel.

“Yes, while Falcon Ex-Easy is serviceable and airworthy, the decision to travel particularly to long and multiple destinations such as the President travelling to France, Belgium and South Africa and back to Ghana, especially during the COVID era, would always require a larger capacity aircraft such as a Boeing Business jet (BBJ) or Airbus ACJ 319 not even when the Falcon is airworthy,” he said.

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