Presidential Jets to chase armed robbers – Baba Jamal

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday july 22, 2011.
“Sometimes you get information that armed robbers have mounted blocks mostly on our highways in the north. If cars cannot go there the flight is the easiest way to go to save those being attacked.”

“When you travel abroad this is how they do it to protect lives.”

These were the words of Baba Jamal, a Deputy Minister of Information, when he struggled on radio yesterday in an attempt to justify the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s acquisition of five planes believed to be meant for the military at a whopping cost of about $350 million.

The NDC government’s acquisition of five planes namely Embraer 190 jet with a hanger costing $ 82 million, two CASA 295 aircraft costing 60 million Euros as well Two DA 42 MPP Guardian Surveillance costing 11 million Euros has sparked heated political debate nationwide.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is accusing the ruling NDC of double standards and hypocrisy after the ruling party which prides itself as social democrats then in opposition vehemently opposed then President Kufuor government’s attempt to purchase two planes for the same military in March 2008.

The NDC at the time accused the NPP of having misplaced priorities and hid behind the now moribund Kwesi Pratt’s Committee for Joint Action (CJA) to embark on countless demonstrations nationwide to throw dust in the eyes of the public that President Kufuor was going to purchase the planes for himself.

They said at the time that there was too much hardship under the NPP and listed litany of issues including high tariff in utilities, no food and water, corruption, high unemployment among others as their reasons for objecting to the purchase of only two planes.

The opposition NPP however insists that the conditions which made the then NDC heaped barrage of insults on them have not changed and said Ghanaians have even gone from bad to worse under President Mills.

Justifying President Mills’ mantra “profligate and ostentatious expenditure”, Baba Jamal quickly jumped in defense of his boss by saying “the President has not made any request for the purchase of planes. Rather it is the military that made a normal request and it was approved.”

He said “I know some people are trying to play politics with the acquisition of the planes but I want Ghanaians to assess the issues critically. President Mills has not ordered any plane for his personal use. All the five planes are normal flights for the military.”

He said all the five planes are solely for military service and added that the military’s proposal was far in excess of what the government could approve for them.

“Of all the five, only one plane is a 100 seater Presidential jet which the military will use for their travels and also use it for hiring to the United Nations agencies and other countries.”

Baba Jamal said two of the planes will be used to protect the country’s oil while the other two will be for military training and surveillance adding “the small planes can land almost anywhere on a normal stretch in Ghana.”

“The planes are service planes they are there to protect the people of Ghana and also ensure that nobody steals our oil or do anything untoward.”

When asked by Peace FM whether the government could not have opted for cheaper helicopters, Baba Jamal quickly shifted the goalpost saying “I am not an expert. Please call the Military PRO they will be able to explain issues better.”

When further asked if the economy could support the purchase of the five planes, Baba Jamal again said “Parliament is dealing with it but it must be made clear that it is not President Mills who is requesting for the planes.”

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu the Minority Leader who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame called into the programme to say that the whole transaction “smells of corruption” judging from the way the whole process was being rushed by the NDC.

“It did not even go to Cabinet for approval. It took just about a month to conclude it and was rushed to Parliament for approval.”

The Minority Leader said the figures being mentioned by the NDC are “outrageous” because many countries have entered into similar transaction at cheaper rates.

He dismissed suggestions that the NPP is paying back the NDC in their own coin saying “nobody is saying that the military should not be given equipment to work…what we are saying is that the NDC has not been sincere on this issue and the government has to take a second look at the whole deal.”