SIMCEL ONLINE

Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday July 21, 2021 claimed that the Minister for National Security is best placed to provide Parliament with details of the cost of President Akufo-Addo’s foreign trips in May this year.

He insisted President Akufo-Addo’s domestic and international travels are issues of National Security Ministry and not the Finance Ministry and maintained that he did not make any specific releases to the Chief of Staff for the President’s trips to France, Belgium and South Africa.

He stressed the President’s domestic and international travels are matters of National Security stressing that National Security Minister is best placed to furnish the august House with the details needed.

The Finance Minister was answering questions on the floor of Parliament from North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who asked the Minister how much the President’s recent official travel to France, Belgium and South Africa in May this year cost the Ghanaian taxpayer.

According to Ken Ofori Atta, the Ministry of Finance did not release any funds to the Chief of Staff, especially for the President’s trip to France, Belgium, and South Africa in line with the 2021 judgment implementation instructions because the President’s travels fall within the remit of National Security.

He said the Office of Government Machinery and the National Security Secretariat work together to achieve to facilitate the safe co-ordination of the President’s travels, both domestic and foreign.

The Finance Minister on June 7, failed to honour Parliament’s summon to provide clarity on the matter, after North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleged that the President’s trip on the G-Kelt aircraft, instead of the Presidential jet, cost £15,000 per hour.

Hon. Ablakwa, who doubles as the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, accused the President of ostentatious spending even as the country goes through economic hardships.

Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul who had earlier responded to an earlier urgent question by the North Tongu legislator on why the President had to charter a private jet for the trips told Parliament that the Falcon was not conducive and presented many challenges when the President was embarking on his 10-day foreign travel.

Hon Nitiwul explained that, to ensure the safety of the President and his crew, the G-Kelt aircraft was hired and defended the decision to charter the private jet for 15,000 pounds an hour explaining the Presidential jet is handicapped in handling long-distance travels which will require refueling.

He told the House the first thing they look out for before other factors was the safety of the passengers and the crew, not the amount involved.

After his response, the Finance Minister was again summoned to appear in the House Thursday, 16th June 2021 to respond to questions on the cost of the trip but he communicated to the House that he needed more time to put the details together.

The Minority in Parliament then said Ken Ofori-Atta was deliberately buying time to appear in Parliament to answer the cost of the President’s recent trip on the private jet to the three nations.

They said the question, an urgent one, filed by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was advertised on the Provisional Order Paper for Wednesday, 16th June 2021, to be asked the next day, but it was however not featured on the Order Paper of 17th June 2021.

According to the Minority Side , their enquiries on why the Minister would not respond to the cost of the travel was responded to by Leadership from the Majority Side that the answers were not ready, and the Minister had requested from the Business Committee for more time to provide the House with the answers.

Moments after the announcement on why the Finance Minister could not provide the response, Hon. Ablakwa at a presser at the Parliament House said the Minister was buying time because there appeared attempts to hide the truth and described the President’s trip as pinnacle of luxury, and Penthouse in the Skies

But Appearing before Parliament today, Wednesday, the Finance Minister stated that the Ministry of Finance did not release any funds to the Chief of Staff, specifically, for this trip.

He said the current practice is that the Ministry of Finance releases quarterly funds to the Heads of Department, in this case, Office of Government Machinery, Chief of Staff for all the operational activities of the Office.

The Ranking Member noted that the entities with which businesses were conducted are around and wondered what it would take to get the needed documentation and reiterating the Minority’s resolve to continue to pursue accountability even though that may take time and patience.

Source: Parliament of Ghana

• Business Skills That Make Millions (Not Just Money—Power and Freedom)
  Millions are not made by luck, certificates, or motivational quotes. They are built by skills—specific, learnable abilities that compound over time. If you study people who consistently build seven-figure and eight-figure businesses, you’ll notice something important: they don’t know everything. They just master a few high-leverage skills extremely well. Here are the business skills that… Read more: Business Skills That Make Millions (Not Just Money—Power and Freedom)
• If I Started a Business in 2026, I’d Do This (No Guesswork, No Noise)
  If I were starting a business in 2026, I wouldn’t chase hype. I wouldn’t copy what’s trending on social media. And I definitely wouldn’t start with a big office, fancy logo, or massive capital. I’d start lean, digital, data-driven, and brutally practical. Here’s exactly what I would do—step by step—based on what actually works today… Read more: If I Started a Business in 2026, I’d Do This (No Guesswork, No Noise)
• 25 Years of Business Knowledge Revealed: Lessons Time Can Only Teach
  There is a kind of knowledge you can’t download, outsource, or learn overnight. It doesn’t come from books alone, courses, or viral social media threads. It comes from time—from wins and losses, right and wrong decisions, and years of staying in the game when quitting would have been easier. After 25 years in business, one… Read more: 25 Years of Business Knowledge Revealed: Lessons Time Can Only Teach
• How to Get Whatever You Want: Science‑Based Strategies to Achieve Your Dreams and Lead a Fulfilled Life
  Chapter 1 – Understanding Desire: Why You Want What You Want Everyone wants something—a better job, a healthy relationship, financial security, creative success, or simply peace of mind. Desires drive human behavior. They push us to learn new skills, nurture relationships and create the world we imagine. But wanting something and getting it are not the… Read more: How to Get Whatever You Want: Science‑Based Strategies to Achieve Your Dreams and Lead a Fulfilled Life
• Understanding Business Finance: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
  Master Financial Statements, Analysis, Capital Structure, Budgeting, Risk Management, and Ethical Governance to Build Sustainable Business Success Learning how to manage money is one of the most important life skills. When you run a business, financial decisions have long‑lasting consequences for employees, customers and the wider community. Yet many entrepreneurs and managers feel intimidated by… Read more: Understanding Business Finance: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
• Never Reveal This About Yourself: The Psychology of Power, Secrecy, and Self‑Disclosure
  Harnessing the Balance Between Concealing and Revealing to Build Influence, Trust, and Personal Freedom. From ancient courts and secret societies to modern workplaces and online communities, human beings have always used information as a form of power. What we reveal, what we conceal and how we navigate that spectrum can shape our relationships, reputations and… Read more: Never Reveal This About Yourself: The Psychology of Power, Secrecy, and Self‑Disclosure
• The 5 Silent Killers of Success
  A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Fear, Procrastination, Perfectionism, Self‑Doubt, and Complacency for Personal Growth and Achievement. Success is often portrayed as a series of dramatic breakthroughs—overnight sensations and quick wins that catapult someone from obscurity to prosperity. In reality, sustainable achievement is far less glamorous. It is the result of countless small choices and habits… Read more: The 5 Silent Killers of Success
• Machiavelli’s Masterclass: 12 Lessons from The Prince and the Discourses That Shape Modern Leadership
  What Machiavelli Has Taught Me About Power, Virtù, Fortune, and Civic Freedom. Niccolò Machiavelli’s writings are often invoked to justify ruthless politics, cut‑throat business and “Machiavellian” manipulations. The reality is both more subtle and more profound. Writing in the turbulent Italian Renaissance, Machiavelli searched for the “effectual truth” of politics – the real dynamics of… Read more: Machiavelli’s Masterclass: 12 Lessons from The Prince and the Discourses That Shape Modern Leadership
• Transform Your Life: The Ultimate Guide to Self‑Improvement
  A Comprehensive 12‑Step Journey to Personal Growth, Well‑Being, and Purpose. Introduction Self‑improvement is the deliberate process of enhancing your life through conscious changes in thoughts, behaviours, skills and habits. At its core, it is not about becoming perfect or meeting someone else’s standards; it is about discovering your full potential and living a life aligned… Read more: Transform Your Life: The Ultimate Guide to Self‑Improvement
• How to Start a Speech: Captivating Openings to Hook Your Audience from the First Word
  A Comprehensive Guide to Attention‑Getting Techniques, Audience Engagement, and Effective Introductions. Introduction Public speaking is one of the oldest human arts and still one of the most challenging. You can spend months perfecting a persuasive argument or refining your delivery, yet without a compelling opening, your message risks being ignored. In the first few seconds… Read more: How to Start a Speech: Captivating Openings to Hook Your Audience from the First Word