Abakwa advocates for ban on foreign medical trips for government officials
Majority accuse Bagbin of stalling govt business with Dubai trips
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that he would not hesitate to 'expose' the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin if he ever uses a private jet for his foreign medical travels.
According to him, such an act by the Speaker will receive his stern condemnation akin to the treatment he continued to met out to President Akufo-Addo’s foreign trips onboard a luxurious private jet.
In a post on his social media handle, Mr. Ablakwa indicated his opposition to government officials traveling outside the country to receive medical care.
He said, such practice ought to be banned while criticizing the New Patriotic Party for not implementing the ban it had promised in its 2000 manifesto.
“The day Speaker Bagbin uses a private jet at taxpayer expense, you can be assured in all sincerity and humility that he won’t escape my tracking system and stern condemnation.
“Also, on medical trips abroad for public officials, particularly the political class — I pray for the day we can ban the practice for all including the President, Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speakers, MPs, First and Second Ladies, Ministers, Presidential Staffers, Special Assistants, etc.
“Interestingly, I recall the NPP promised to ban the tradition of medical treatment abroad for public officials in its 2000 Manifesto (some 22 years ago) — it appears they abandoned the pledge when they won the 2000 elections.
“I am all for the principle but it is most unfair to single out Speaker Bagbin and accuse some of us for being hypocritical especially when we haven’t criticized the many others for embarking on medical travels abroad,” Mr. Ablakwa posted on his Facebook timeline.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has on several occasions traveled to Dubai to seek medical review.
Some of his trips have been at a time the Majority caucus wanted to pass the E-levy.
This has sometimes formed the basis for the group accusing him of stalling government business in the House given the Hung nature of the present Parliament.
Mr. Ablakwa has been on the heels of President Akufo-Addo, lambasting him for abandoning Ghana's presidential jet in favor a luxurious private jet for his foreign trips.
In his recent tracking, the North Tongu MP disclosed that President Akufo-Addo has blown US$465,000 on luxurious private jet after passage of E-levy.
According to him, the president now rents the luxurious private jet more cunningly to hide it from the prying eyes of the Ghanaian public.
In a post on his social media handle, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee explained that President Akufo-Addo travels onboard a commercial flight from the country while the rented luxurious private jet awaits him at his destination airport.
“President Akufo-Addo has for the umpteenth time ignored the precarious state of the Ghanaian economy and abandoned Ghana's US$36million Presidential Jet in favour of his most cherished ultra-luxury toy — the LX-DIO which now rents for US18,000 an hour.
“It is clearly a helpless costly addiction which sadly, the Ghanaian taxpayer must pay for. The President's latest misconduct appears to be the most deceptive thus far.
“His new “meet-me-there-strategy” is a well-hatched one to create the impression to Ghanaians back home that he’s indeed repented and now committed to flying commercial only to catch up with his chartered aircraft in transit for the rest of his travels,” parts of Mr. Ablakwa’s post read.
Read Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s post below
Here’s to the disingenuous critics: The day Speaker Bagbin uses a private jet at taxpayer expense, you can be assured in all sincerity and humility that he won’t escape my tracking system and stern condemnation.
Also, on medical trips abroad for public officials, particularly the political class — I pray for the day we can ban the practice for all including the President, Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speakers, MPs, First and Second Ladies, Ministers, Presidential Staffers, Special Assistants, etc.
Interestingly, I recall the NPP promised to ban the tradition of medical treatment abroad for public officials in its 2000 Manifesto (some 22 years ago) — it appears they abandoned the pledge when they won the 2000 elections.
I am all for the principle but it is most unfair to single out Speaker Bagbin and accuse some of us for being hypocritical especially when we haven’t criticized the many others for embarking on medical travels abroad.
Surely, let’s be bold to have a frank and open discussion on the state of Ghana’s healthcare delivery, confidentiality of all patients regardless of status and how we can insist that those responsible for public health policies patronize what we create for the masses.
That said, this must be a bigger, sincere, patriotic discourse — let’s not Bagbinize it.
View their Timepaths below;
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin