The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has responded to calls for his resignation and an apology following President John Dramani Mahama’s recent trip to Japan, where the president was accused of using a private jet.

Sections of the public, particularly supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), have demanded Ablakwa’s resignation. They cite a pledge he made while in opposition — that he would resign if a future National Democratic Congress (NDC) government he was part of ever allowed the president to use luxury private jets, just as then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did.

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In a statement shared on social media, however, Ablakwa insisted that he had nothing to apologise for or resign over. He described the comparisons between former President Akufo-Addo’s private jet use and President Mahama’s recent trip as “ridiculous attempts to equalise based on unscrupulous falsehoods in a futile effort at whitewashing President Akufo-Addo.”

The North Tongu MP stressed that he has no regrets about his exposés on Akufo-Addo’s travels, which he said were part of his parliamentary oversight role and helped save the country millions of dollars.

“I owe no one an apology for leading this consequential and noble oversight to protect taxpayers. I am confident the vast majority of Ghanaians are appreciative of my sacrifices — this is a legacy I will forever cherish. I did it in good conscience for my country and not for the praises of those who cannot look beyond their stomachs,” Ablakwa wrote.

He added that it was “comical” that those calling for his resignation were the same people now attempting to replicate his oversight role but failing miserably.

“It is really comical that the very people demanding of me to apologise or resign are the same people trying so hard to emulate my actions — the overwhelming verdict by Ghanaians, however, is that, so far, the ‘wannabes’ have been spectacularly disastrous. In all humility, I am now inundated with appeals from well-meaning Ghanaians asking that I urgently organise a workshop for the disgraced MPs. That is what happens when you are not motivated by truth, patriotism, diligence, principle, sincerity, and the national interest,” he said.

According to him, his earlier stance on Akufo-Addo’s private jet rentals was vindicated when the former president eventually abandoned the practice in his final year in office.

“I was long vindicated when President Akufo-Addo reluctantly listened to me and the good people of Ghana who were justifiably outraged by his profligate conduct, and therefore had to stop the practice of renting ultra-luxury executive jets at taxpayer expense in his final year in office,” Ablakwa added.

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Read his full write-up below:

THE PRESIDENTIAL JET DEBATE — MY PROUD LEGACY FOR GOD AND COUNTRY AND WHY DISHONEST SPIN AND HATE CAMPAIGNS CANNOT DEFEAT TRUTH

1. I remain extremely proud of my parliamentary oversight as Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, particularly on my legislative scrutiny of presidential travels. My principled position has not changed and will not change. It has always been for God and Country.

2. I am quite certain former President Akufo-Addo is also proud of the forceful arguments he made in Parliament as Ranking Member, specifically on 15th February 2000, opposing plans by President Rawlings to purchase a new executive jet — primarily on the basis that it wasn’t a priority. Ironically, his misguided hirelings and minions vilifying me conveniently conceal former President Akufo-Addo’s documented track record. (See attached the Parliamentary Hansard of February 15, 2000, containing Akufo-Addo’s revealing debate.)

3. Former President Akufo-Addo didn’t think President Rawlings’ presidential jet acquisition should be exempt from the principles of prioritisation, prudence, value for money and transparency. So what changed when he became President 17 years later? Why is Akufo-Addo’s conduct in 2000 commendable but my conduct between 2021 and 2024 condemnable?

4. Let me emphasise for the avoidance of doubt: I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever for leading a long-drawn-out, successful, patriotic campaign against former President Akufo-Addo’s unjustified, wasteful and extremely reckless charter of ultra-luxury jets at US$18,000 an hour, particularly at a time Ghana’s presidential jet was available and in pristine condition.

5. My oversight mandate was strictly inspired by the national interest and the patriotic objective of protecting the public purse — consistent with former President Akufo-Addo’s own eloquent pledge.

6. I owe no one an apology for leading this consequential and noble oversight to protect taxpayers. I am confident the vast majority of Ghanaians are appreciative of my sacrifices — this is a legacy I will forever cherish. I did it in good conscience for my country and not for the praises of those who cannot look beyond their stomachs.

7. It is really comical that the very people demanding that I apologise or resign are the same people trying so hard to emulate my actions. The overwhelming verdict by Ghanaians, however, is that, so far, the “wannabes” have been spectacularly disastrous. In all humility, I am now inundated with appeals from well-meaning Ghanaians asking that I urgently organise a workshop for the disgraced MPs. That is what happens when you are not motivated by truth, patriotism, diligence, principle, sincerity and the national interest.

8. I was long vindicated when President Akufo-Addo reluctantly listened to me and the good people of Ghana who were justifiably outraged by his profligate conduct, and therefore had to stop the practice of renting ultra-luxury executive jets at taxpayer expense in his final year in office.

9. The dishonest hirelings would want us to forget that from the second half of 2023, all the way to the end of his tenure on 6th January 2025, President Akufo-Addo abandoned chartered travels and resorted to the use of Ghana’s Presidential Jet. Indeed, I had occasion to commend President Akufo-Addo for the positive change of mind — even though many have argued that he stopped the extravagant rentals because Ghana became bankrupt and went in for a $3 billion IMF bailout under stringent conditions. (See my commendation of President Akufo-Addo attached.)

10. That President Akufo-Addo relied exclusively on Ghana’s Presidential Jet for over 18 months until he left office confirms that I wasn’t wrong when I insisted that the Presidential Jet — purchased by President Kufuor in 2008 for US$37 million and used by the previous Mills and Mahama presidencies — was fit for purpose.

11. This is why, during the period President Akufo-Addo refused to use the presidential jet, other African presidents were happy to make good use of it.

12. It ought to be recalled that when I filed parliamentary questions on the status of Ghana’s Presidential Jet in June 2021, both the former Ministers of Defence and National Security (Hon. Dominic Nitiwul and Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah) confirmed that the jet was in great condition and was airworthy. The only bizarre concern raised by the former Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, in Parliament was about how President Akufo-Addo could not shower in the presidential jet.

13. The ridiculous attempts to equalise, based on unscrupulous falsehoods in a futile effort at whitewashing President Akufo-Addo — who ought to have remembered his fierce criticism of President Rawlings — are not only insulting but have already failed. The intelligence of Ghanaians should not be underestimated.

14. If the Akufo-Addo administration had listened to some of us much earlier on matters such as this profligate chartered jet travel (which cost taxpayers over GHS120 million), the US$97 million wasted on the cathedral pit, the many inflated single-sourced contracts and the numerous state capture scandals, Ghana could have avoided bankruptcy and the painful financial haircuts we had to suffer.

15. It is instructive and embarrassing to note that none of the leaders of the countries Ghana owes — and is begging for debt restructuring after defaulting under Akufo-Addo’s mismanagement — abandon their presidential jets for luxury charters. Most of these countries actually have a presidential travel policy which demands that taxpayers are reimbursed if their presidents use the presidential jet for non-official or campaign purposes.

16. And by the way, can someone inform the cacophonous, illogical propagandists that there’s a world of difference between jets and helicopters?

17. President Mahama’s government will continue to reset Ghana with truth, modesty, frugality and deep respect for the Ghanaian people.

For God and Country.
Ghana First.

BAI/MA

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