‘Ghana is expecting your resignation’ – Ntim Fordjour challenges Ablakwa over presidential jet

The Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, has demanded the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Mr. Fordjour’s call comes in the wake of allegations that President John Dramani Mahama chartered a private jet for his ongoing state visit to Japan. He argued that the move contradicts a public pledge once made by Mr. Ablakwa, who had vowed to step down if the President ever resorted to using chartered flights while in office.

In a post shared on social media on Monday, August 18, the Assin South MP cited a past interview in which Mr. Ablakwa made the commitment. He further accused the Foreign Affairs Minister of hypocrisy, claiming that he engaged in “petty politics” during the tenure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Mr. Fordjour also demanded an apology from the minister over what he described as a double standard.

John Ntim Fordjour MP

Mr Principle @S_OkudzetoAblak, Ghana is expecting your resignation. NDC must apologize to Ghanaians and Prez Akufo-Addo for doing petty politics with presidential travels. Govt must be bold to submit proposal for the acquisition of new Presidential Jet for the President’s safety.

However, Deputy Chief of Staff, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has dismissed the claims. In a Facebook post, he clarified that President Mahama was travelling to Japan on a commercial airline from Accra’s Kotoka International Airport, accompanied by other passengers.

Mr Dogbe added:

If the President’s trip requires a privately chartered aircraft and not his brother’s Dzata, which has saved the state huge sums of money, be sure that we will go for that, but not at an exorbitant cost to the state.

Meanwhile, the controversy has sparked debate across social media, with many Ghanaians calling for an official response from the Foreign Affairs Minister.