The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged Ghanaians and CSOs to pile pressure on the executive to initiate processes to develop a presidential travel policy.
It follows the latest revelation by the MP that the president chartered a luxurious jet at the cost of $14,000 an hour for a trip in July and his recent visit to Germany.
According to the ranking member on the foreign affairs committee, the latest action by the president flies in the face of protecting the public purse, especially when the Ghanaian taxpayer has been urged to tighten his belt.
He told Star News “this must be initiated by the Executive arm. We can all bring pressure to bear or as has been the case in the number of instances where CSO’s take the lead, do the draft, and then like we’ve had CHRAJ and other bodies for example when it comes to code of ethics for public officers.”
“Some of these things have started from civil society organizations and all of us mounting pressure, then the executive is compelled to take it up and then it can come to the House, it can come to parliament. I would like to see something like that.”
Mr Ablakwa added “if the executive fails to take the initiative, let the initiative be taken by CSO’s, by all of us who are outraged by this. Because the templates exist, many other jurisdictions that have these travel policies, and we can adopt them, modify them to meet our context, and make sure it is applied.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5fm
