News:
February 7, 2022
Ranking member of Ghana’s Parliament on Road and Transport Committee, Governs Kwame Agbodza said they would be visiting the terminal 1 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) where McDan Aviation operates its private jet service in the wake of the Management of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) indefinitely barring McDan Aviation over breaches.
According to him the sector Ministry in their meeting indicated that in a week’s time they as a Committee would do same so that within a week they should be able to have further and better particulars from the Ministry, Agencies and McDan which would inform them on the way forward with regard to breach of cooperation by McDan.
Briefing the media on Friday, February 4, 2022 the Ranking member pointed out that as a Committee they do not have any evidence that in the past the Ministry and its agencies raised issued of operational breaches on the part of McDan which led to admonishment, sanction or punishment.
“That is why we feel there is something more to this issue; for three years how come they never took any decision to punish and let the public know? The ministry did not provide any documentation at all when they came before the committee. These documents were gotten through friends. As the minister made us aware that the proper sanction would be carried out after further investigation, we want to know the kind of sanction going to be carried out”.
To buttress his suspicion that there was more to it that being told, the Adaklu MP pointed out that he has a letter which the Ghana Airport Company has written to Frontiers to get prepared to carry out COVID-19 test at McDan private jet terminal at the arrival hall.
“If they think the terminal hall is not fit for purpose, on what basis were they writing to Frontiers to go in there and conduct COVID test? They said the letter was sent to Frontier to be in preparedness to go and install things there to receive passengers. I did not buy that because if you are not ready, do not go there by suggesting that this is possible?”
He added that it is the reason why some people believe something different from what they have heard so far might have triggered what is happening.
“What changed on that Friday? The letter tells me that they did not have too much concerns, there I have more than fourteen letters between Ghana Airport Company and Civil Aviation, not a single one said we do not like what you are doing stop it except January 31, 2022 inauguration letter, perhaps there is something that we are not being told”.
He noted that the Minority side of the Committee is faulting the Ministry also on lack of supervision over the process of leasing and it would be important to see the actual contract between McDan Shipping Company Limited. “I say so because whatever agreement we see would be in the name of McDan shipping company, however, after that he registered an entity call McDan Aviation which is now the operators of the terminal 1”, he stated.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
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