Akufo-Addo spent ¢65m on refreshment and foreign travels in 9 months – Sammy Gyamfi

The National Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has noted that President Akufo-Addo in 2019 spent an amount of ¢65 million belonging to the state on personal stuff.

Sammy Gyamfi listing a number of corrupt practices in the Akufo-Addo administration, he said government over-bloated its foreign travels expenditure.

He told the press said the President blew the said amount on refreshment and foreign travels within nine months.

“Another instance of offence and profligate of state resources was when President Akufo-Addo, in only nine months in the year 2019 spent a hopping ¢650 million on refreshment and foreign travels in nine months in the course of 2019.”

The Minority spokesperson on finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, in 2019 revealed that speculations about the President’s travel budget were laid to rest when the 2020 budgetary allocation of the Office of Government Machinery was presented on the floor of the House.

The document, he said, gives the breakdown as ¢62 million for foreign travel costs and expenses; ¢5.85 million as hotel accommodation, and ¢1.9 million for refreshment.

Commenting on the issue, the NDC Communications Director said, “This wasteful and ostentatious lifestyle of the president was financed by the scares resources of the state which could have been channelled into meeting the many need of the Ghanaian people”.

He also claimed that “President Akufo-Addo went globe-trotting on a rented private jet at a cost of $17,000 per hour including going to watch the 2019 champions league final match between his team Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool football club in faraway Spain”.

Sammy Gyamfi said Ghanaians must be mindful of Akufo-Addo’s “dishonesty” and make informed choice heading to the December election.