Heated debate over President John Mahama’s recent trip to the United Arab Emirates has sparked heated debate in Parliament. The development has compelled the second deputy speaker of Parliament Andrew Asiamah to suspend sittings.
The Fomena MP who was presiding read a communication from the President informing the house of his trip last week and the status of Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Prempeh as acting President in his absence.
This information sparked off-mic comments of “which flight did he use” from the minority MPs. MP for Kpandai in the Matthew Nyindam then stood up to question the status of majority Chief Whip Governs Kwame Agbodza who was still occupying the front bench even after his approval as minister for Roads and Highways. Mr. Nyindam argued the house had become sheep without a shepherd since the approval of the first batch of ministerial nominees comprising of majority Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and his Chief Whip Governs Kwame Agbodza.
When the Adaklu MP got the opportunity to react, he explained the approved nominees are yet to be sworn in by President Mahama and thus their statuses have not changed. Mr. Agbodza then went on to respond to the chants of the flight the President used for his Dubai trip revealing the President traveled on a commercial flight. According to him unlike former President Akufo-Addo, President Mahama will not rent a private jet for his trips.
Former Minister for Defence Dominic Nitiwul however questioned the decision of the President to travel on commercial flights when the Presidential jet is in a good condition. According to the Bimbilla MP, it’s wrong for President Mahama to use a commercial flight without using the Presidential jet. According to him, he would have supported the rental of a private jet by President Mahama like Akufo-Addo did if the presidential jet was not in a good shape.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh on his part forcefully argued unlike President Mahama, Akufo-Addo would never used his brother’s jet for his travels.
The development degenerated into heated exchanges when the second deputy speaker refused to give Nitiwul another opportunity to speak to the matter compelling the second deputy speaker to suspend the house.
Sitting resumed with Dominic Nitiwul having another opportunity to speak to the matter insisting President Mahama also used a private jet for his trips in the past. Majority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson who was on the flight with President Mahama on the trip to the UAE corroborated the use of a commercial flight.
