The Ho Airport that was built by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) adminstration is now a white elephant that is causing financial loss to the state, Presidential Staffer, Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has said.
He stated that when the project was being built, a lot of people advised against it but the then government refused to listen and went ahead with its construction.
He made this point to justify the National Cathedral project which he said will have economic benefits to the state because it will be self-financing when completed.
Speaking on the Key Points show on TV3 Saturday December 24, the Director of Local Government and Decentralization at the Office of the President asked “Where was the justification when we spent $25million to build the Ho airport which is now white elephant?”
He added “$25million dollars was spent at the time the people of Ho did not have a market. At the time the airport was going to be built a lot of people asked economic question why they were going to put the airport there.
“Togbe Afede advised that half of the money for the Ho Airport should be used to construct the road to Ho but it was not listened to and today, that Airport is a white elephant.”
He stressed “the Ho airport was built at a time this country had dumsor, this county had a health insurance that was near collapsed, this country at that had 88 districts without hospitals.
“The construction of the airport had economic value, the same way the cathedral has economic value.”
He stressed “Ho Airport is causing financial loss to the state. Passion Air flew there for only one month and decided not to go again.”
Parliament did not approve the controversial GHS80 million that was earmarked for construction of the National Cathedral.
To that end, the amount has been channeled into Communication and Road sectors.
Earlier, the Ranking Member on the joint committee of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on Tuesday, December 20 dedicated a Minority voting decision to reject the budget estimates for the building of the National Cathedral as captured in the 2023 budget statement to Ghanaians.
He said the decision was a victory to all Ghanaians as previous allocations to the project were not properly accounted for.
Eleven Minority MPs as against 10 Majority MPs, therefore, voted to reject the GH¢80-million allocation for the continuation of the project.
Commenting on this development, Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said “Government compelled to withdraw and reallocate the obnoxious and dubious GHS80million for President Akufo-Addo’s Cathedral to the Roads and Communications sectors.
“We won this battle for God and the suffering masses. Thank you all for your unflinching support.”
