Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has opined that the failure of President Akufo-Addo to relieve the health minister of his job indicates that he (Kwaku Agyeman-Manu) did not act alone in the corrupt Sputnik V vaccine deal.
He noted that the minister should have been relieved of his post following the report and recommendations of the parliamentary committee set up to probe the matter.
The committee that probed Ghana’s Sputnik V vaccine deal has urged the minister for finance to take steps to recover the money due the Republic in respect of the amount of US$2,850,000.00 (Cedi equivalent of GH¢16,331,640.00).
The amount being the cost of the Sputnik-V vaccines that were proposed to be procured.
The committee in its report found that the ministry of health did not seek approval from the board of PPA under Sections 40 and 41 of Act 663 before signing the agreements.
“As already stated, the Committee found that the Ministry of Health did not comply with the requirements of Article 181(5) of the Constitution in respect of its Agreement with Messrs Al Maktoum. The minister said that he did that because of the exigencies of the time when COVID-19 posed public health crisis with highest fatalities and there was urgent global search for vaccines and at that material time the Agreements were signed, all government to government sources had failed as the bilateral sources had communicated to the Ministry that they would only be able to deliver in August 2021. Suffice to say that the bilateral sources did not include Russia since Ghana had no such arrangement with Russia.
“The Agreements ensuing from the negotiations have been submitted to the PPA for ratification, the Committee determined that the Agreements were entered into without prior approval by PPA under Sections 40 and 41 of Act 663. Indeed, at the time of completing its work, PPA was yet to do the ratification,” the report read in part.
Reacting, Mr. Ablakwa said Akufo-Addo should have sacked the minister if his promise to fight corruption was genuine.
He also expressed disappointment in parliament for failing to deal with the matter before going on recess.
Read his statement below:
No end in sight to the damning corruption reports of the Akufo-Addo Govt.
That the Health Minister remains at post confirms that he didn’t act alone & that he enjoys the active support of the President.
Akufo-Addo promised to fight corruption but corruption has fought & defeated him with cheeky ease.
Pathetically — Parliament, the last bastion failed this dawn to deliver the Health Minister from his misery due to the all too familiar altar of extreme destructive partisanship.
Whither our democracy?