Some residents within the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have treated with disdain the government’s decision to purchase a jet for the president, describing it as unnecessary at this time.
The Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, while answering questions from North Tongu member of parliament (MP), Samuel OKudzeto Ablakwa on the Floor of parliament on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 said consultations with Parliament, trade unions and religious organisations have begun for the purchase of a presidential jet. He said the move was facilitated by a request from Ghana Armed Forces for the purchase of a new presidential jet for government’s businesses.
Some residents who spoke to A1 News opined that it is not prudent for the government to embark on that move considering the hardship confronting the citizenry coupled with the imposition of taxes by the current regime. They are therefore calling on the government to abort the plan and channel the money into the development of the country.
“There is big hardship in Ghana. People are suffering. The schools are not good, the hospitals are not good; no drugs in the hospitals, the roads are not good, and you are thinking of buying a jet for a president? For what reason?” One of the residents who pleaded anonymity asked.
He continued “ how much is the price of that jet? Instead of you to use that money to build roads, hospitals, you are thinking of buying a jet. For what reason? So I think it is not necessary; they shouldn’t buy it, they are wasting Ghanaians’ money. We the ordinary citizens are suffering, the schools are not good, the whole environment is not good, the roads are not good. So they should be thinking of all those things and not a jet”.
Another resident, who only gave his name as Enock said “it doesn’t make sense in the first because looking at it they have not been able to account to us how much money they have spent on the rentals of the presidential jet. The Defence Minister has failed to account to us. The issue of this presidential jet came to public and we expected that the council of elders would speak to it but all of them sat aloof and we are crushing. It is very sad”.
It could be recalled that the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, while addressing journalists at the Jubilee House in September this year dropped the hint the Interior Ministry was in the process of procuring a new presidential jet in a bid to save the country from cost.
The Defence Minister confirmed that on the Floor of Parliament on Tuesday, December 14, 2021.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Elijah Beyeni Yenibey|Ghana
