Presidential Jet to be Sold?

MR Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister designate for Presidential Affairs, yesterday told the Parliamentary Appointments Committee that the New Patriotic Party has asked the Majority Leader to work out the best method of disposing the presidential jet.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said this is in fulfilment of the party’s campaign promise. “We are on record and stand by the record that the contract was frivolous”.

Answering questions when he appeared before the committee, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the President’s trip to Lome was undertaken with a Ghana Airways flight from Accra-Cotonou-Lagos which was chartered to carry the President to Lome.

On the sale of saloon cars to former government functionaries and ministers, he said the Joint Transitional Team based the decision on the long-term principle of resettling future ministers and government functionaries. Touching on corruption, he said the Office of the President has set up a desk on accountability to handle all issues relating to corruption.

Asked about his new position, he said it will involve the overall direction of government. On whether the new appointments reflect an all-inclusive and broad geographical consideration, he explained that the President might have used the the principle of merit and ability to deliver, as his yardstick.

Asked whether the delegation to President Bush’s inauguration was official, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said President Kufuor was officially invited but since he could not make the trip, he sent the delegation. Reacting to a question on an alleged statement made on radio by Mr Odoi-Sykes, who led the delegation was capacity when asked whether it was proper for Mr Odoi-Sykes to have led the delegation to such a high-profile event. He told the committee that he had not been served with any court summons on Mr Martin Amidu’s writ on the constitutionality of his earlier appointment by the President as Chief of Staff.