News:
Deputy Majority Leader
February 13, 2022
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has been programmed to deliver on his constitutional mandate on the March 3, 2022 by giving the State of the Nations Address.
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo said the above date has been given by Parliament but they are in touch with the presidency as they need to get it done within the constitutional frame work of time.
“We are aware the president is not within the jurisdiction, we are in a global village we need to engage and reach out, that is the only way you can leverage and get the necessary investment into your country. I do not think any president takes pleasure in traveling out of the country”.
And added that, same with MPs any travel must be essential and what the president is engaged in is rather an essential travels. Again, he noted that as a country we must be bold and address issue of travels and aircrafts if democracy would require institutional pillars and needs resources to build a workable democracy.
He was addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps on Friday, after adjournment, and responding to comments made by the North Tongu MP criticizing the president for using private jet instead of what the state has purchased.
So again, “when you say why would MPs drive in a four wheel, its waste, use that money for something else, it really would not add up; same with chief directors having official vehicles, why would parliament be in a chamber as flamboyant and big why don’t we gather under a canopy and do business, that money would be a waste; we should not trivialize issues?”, he advised.
The Effutu lawmaker further noted that as a country we should agree that certain structures should be in place, “I would not question anybody asking for accountability and a certain line of travel but to create the impression as if the president traveling on an aircraft rather than that procured by the states means he is insensitive would rather beg the question”.
He disagreed with that and noted that it is over populism and would not help but rather incite people to react in a certain way, but if we all agree that as a nation the governance we have chosen for ourselves we require certain structures, then we should openly debate.
“What, we need to support our democracy, aircraft to facilitate government business, not the one that we cannot rely on for long distance travel” he addeds.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com