Albert Kan-Dapaah
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah has said he cannot disclose the costs of presidential travels for reasons of national security considerations and appealed to Parliament to bear with him.
According to him, the planning, costs, logistics and executions of all presidential travels have national security implications such that any disclosure prior to, during and after such travels have the potential of compromising the security of the entire state.
Responding to questions on the Floor of Parliament yesterday, Mr. Kan-Dapaah said the recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa by President Akufo-Addo were paid for out of the operational funds of the Ministry of National Security.
“Payments out of the Ministry’s operational funds are clothed with rules of confidentiality and state secrecy and it is not the general practice in the intelligence community here and elsewhere to make the suggested disclosures public,” he stated.
NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who has been obsessed with the President’s travels had asked the Minister for National Security how much the President’s recent official travels to France, Belgium and South Africa in May this year.
The NPP MP for Dormaa East, Paul Apreku-Twum-Barimah also counter filed to ask the Minister the cost of air travels of the President using chartered flight between 2013 and 2016.
Mr. Kan-Dapaah parried both requests noting, “I must confess that by convention and for good public policy considerations, the utilisations of operational funds are not subject to the oversight of any institution and are normally not disclosed.”
“If it is disclosed in other jurisdictions, it may be because they are not paid out of operational funds. I am talking about payments out of operational funds and I don’t believe there are disclosures anywhere,” he added.
He continued, “The costs that you are asking for were paid out of operational funds and that is what makes it difficult for me to give you the details.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to advise my Hon friend (referring to Ablakwa) that the planning, the cost, the logistics and executions of the presidential travels have national security implications such that any disclosure prior to, during and after such travels have the potential of compromising the security of the entire state,” he stressed.
“I must request Parliament to bear with my inability to make no disclosures on the cost of presidential travels for reasons of national security considerations,” he pleaded.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House