The Executive Mansion through Presidential Press Secretary Kula Nyei Fofana has refuted reports that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent visit to Guinea Bissau on a private jet was at the expense of the country’s coffers.
Critics of the president scorned him for flying on a private jet to Guinea Bissau, something he criticized former President George Manneh Weah for.
But addressing the regular Executive Mansion Press Briefing last Friday in Monrovia, Madam Fofana said the president did not spend a dime of the Liberian people’s resources on his visit to Guinea Bissau.
She said while in the United States of America, President Boakai received an invitation from his Guinea-Bissau counterpart to visit his country.
Madam Fofana said upon his return to Liberia, the next day, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau sent his presidential aircraft for him to visit that country.
She emphasized that not a dime was spent by the president on his visit.
Fofana said the president does not have any interest in paying money for private a jet as has been rumored in some quarters.
“…Liberia is currently challenged in the transportation sector; and one of the issues he has said consistently is, his goal is to ensure that important sectors are taken care of…to procure private jet, that is not a priority for the government at the moment…,” she said.
She said while other countries have presidential aircrafts, Liberia currently does not have the resources to acquire one.
Besides, the presidential press secretary said, the president is not interested in procuring or renting a private jet. Madam Fofana furthered that there are important things about Liberia and its people that are of priority to the president rather than acquiring a private jet.
However, she said whenever the president flies a private jet, it will be no cause to Liberia.
She acknowledged that it is very difficult to travel in Africa because there are few routes; but maintained that the president will always fly commercial planes except he’s given a private jet with no cause to Liberia.
Madam Fofana also pointed out that there is no law, relative to the Code of Conduct that prevents the president from flying on a private jet provided by another government that does not have any interest in Liberia.
“Liberians should get used to it that there will be a time that the president will fly on a private jet with no cost to Liberia…that is where the clarity needs to be made; the government t will not pay for private jet; the president said the issue of private jet should not come from government coffers; it is not going to be something that the government will pay for…,” Madam Fofana, among other things said.
