Contempt of The People - ?117bn FOR PRESIDENT'S TOY, ?3bn FOR EDUCATION

AFTER MONTHS of categorical denial that the Rawlings government had purchased a new presidential jet, the long awaited plane is in town, 20 long months after The Independent first broke the news that such a plane had been procured.

It may be recalled that in January 1998, the then editor of The Independent, Richmond Keelson, reporting from Lagos and Abuja revealed that President Jerry John Rawlings for his presidential junketing had acquired a $40 million presidential jet which was being kept at Abuja..

The Minister of Communications, John Mahama categorically denied that the government had procured a new plane, describing The Independent story as a figment of our imagination.

It may again be recalled that to prepare the minds of Ghanaians for the purchase of this expensive toy for President Rawlings, the Castle leaked a so-called memo from the Council of State recommending that the government secures a new plane to replace the Presidential Jet purchased by General Kutu Acheampong in 1978.

President Rawlings so much wanted a new toy that the government thought a non-technical advice from the Council of State would be accepted by the Ghanaian public.

According to our sources at the Civil Aviation Authority, the 1978 Fokker plane acquired by Acheampong has not been written off.

The public furore generated by The Independent story and declarations by the Minority Leader, J.H. Mensah forced the government to literally hide the plane in Abuja where it was flown out to another location after the death of Genral Sani Abacha.

But with just 16 months to leave the political scene, President Rawlings can no longer wait for his toy-a Gulfstream 111 aircraft.

He clearly wants to enjoy his last days flying a new jet. A presidential jet is more a priority for him than the wounds of the educational and medical systems which are crying for just a little more investment.

Accordingly, the new plane flew to town last week painted in Ghana colours and has already been put at the service of state officials to pave the way for full use of the new toy by President Rawlings.

The advent of the plane was kept a close secret.

One argument that government sources used for the need to secure the new presidential jet was that the old Fokker 27 was a flying coffin.

A second reason was that the presidential jet was not just for the Head of State and to give credence to this theory, the government tactically allowed Justice D.F. Annan, to be the first state official to fly in the new plane to Lesotho.

Accompanying him were a parliamentary delegation. A GTV news bulletin quoted Justice Annan describing the smooth ride the delegation enjoyed on the flight to Maseru.

His view was confirmed by the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Koforidua, Hon. Yaw Barimah.

For many political observers, the arrival of the plane at a time when the country is plunged into many crises shows total contempt for the people and misplaced priorities.

A student leader told The Independent that it was senseless and insensitive on the part of the government to have gone ahead with the procurement of a 117 billion cedis toy at a time when the government says it cannot raise 13 billion cedis to solve the educational crisis.

Meanwhile, owing to the discomfort of even some party functionaries at the display of extravaganza at this difficult period in Ghana's economic history, the government has not been able to commission the new plane with the pomp that normally goes with such acquisitions and have only allowed the new presidential jet to sneak into the Accra International Airport.

The Independent can confirm that President Rawlings who was the first to inspect the new plane when it nicodemosuly flew in will in the next two weeks undertake his maiden flight abroad.

He has already had a test flight and is quoted by our sources as expressing full satisfaction with his new toy.