Security Analyst Colonel (Rtd) Festus Aboagye has questioned government's decision to categorise the president’s travel expenses as National Security issues that could not be disclosed.

According to him, knowing the expenses that accompany presidential travels does not in any way affect national security.

Speaking on Joy FM's Top Story Col Aboagye said, “[national security] is about the protection and the defence of the state. It is about dealing with the threats that can injure the interest and well-being of the state. So how does the cost of presidential flights become atheist to the state?”

He stated that the cost of presidential travel cannot be placed in the same category as hostile external countries, terrorism, national disasters and other national security threats.

“I am inclined to suggest that an attempt by the authority to conceal the cost of presidential flights from the country is injurious to national security,” Col Aboagye added.

This follows comments by the National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, indicating that he’s unable to disclose the cost of the president’s travels for security reasons.

Appearing on the floor of Parliament on Friday, Mr Kan-Dapaah explained that the funding for the president’s travel is sourced from the coffers of the national security, and such estimates are not meant for public consumption.

“Recent official travels to France, Belgium and South Africa by the President are paid for out of the official funds of the Ministry of National Security.

"Mr Speaker, payments out of the Ministry’s operational funds are [treated] with confidentiality and state secrecy, and it is not the general practice in the intelligence community, here and elsewhere to make the suggested disclosures public”, Mr Kan-Dapaah explained.

Meanwhile, Col Aboagye believes that labelling the expenses under national security places it beyond access by certain state institutions.

This, he explained, in turn, creates a blackhole adding that persons are left to accept whatever amount quoted as expenses with no proof whatsoever.

"On the contrary, if the people of Ghana know how much their President have spent and they are happy about it, that sense of satisfaction and contentment rather promotes and enhances national security," Col Aboagye added.

However, reacting to the explanations by the Minister, North Tongu MP, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the arguments by Mr Kan-Dapaah are untenable. According to him, no laws bar the Minister from disclosing the cost of the president’s travels.

Citing the practice in other jurisdictions like the United States of America, Mr Ablakwa emphasised that the cost of presidential travels are not closely guarded secrets in the intelligence community, as the Minister stated.

In his view, it is necessary to disclose the cost to promote accountability. He, therefore, disagrees with the explanations from the National Security Minister.