Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is still under pressure to resign
• Martin Kpebu doesn’t seem to be backing down on his calls on Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to resign
• The lawyer now believes there could be other persons high up the political hierarchy that the Minister of Health is protecting in the messy deal
• Meanwhile, Agyeman-Manu has broken his silence on all the calls being made on him
After making several calls for the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, to resign from his post over his involvements in the controversial Sputnik V vaccines procurement, private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu says it appears it’s not only the minister’s mistake.
He explained that it may be that the Minister is only taking the fall for other government officials, or, there might just be more than one top official involved in this mess.
The lawyer explained that with the several back and forth on this matter, there could be no other conclusion than the one he holds that since none of his explanations add up, then there could be an underlining part of all of this that we are not being told about, reports myjoyonline.com.
“The point is that he comes to parliament with a letter, on the 15th of July, that Sheikh Dalmook Al Maktoum has withdrawn. But on July 25, the response from the Sheikh’s office to him is that I will refund the money when I receive a termination notice, so it means the agreement is still in force yet he said the Sheikh has terminated, you’ve come to show us a letter,” he explained.
Parliament had constituted an ad hoc Committee to look into the controversial matter, following which a number of revelations were made, including the fact that Kwaku Agyeman-Manu lied under oath about payments made in the deal with Sheikh Al-Maktoum of Dubai.
The minister is also said to have breached several procurement protocols and for which reason many had called for his sack or for his resignation.
Martin Kpebu explained that, “it’s beginning to look like Agyeman-Manu is taking the bullet for somebody because it just doesn’t add up, it looks like when we catch them here, then they try to contrive another lie because it just doesn’t make sense.
“From day one, it has always been clear that this man should have gone a long time. The more he talks, the more he demonstrates that he is not fit for the position.”
Meanwhile, amidst the lingering calls for his head over his role in the much talked about Sputnik V vaccine, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu continues to maintain his cool.
In his first reaction since the several calls for his sacking or resignation, the health minister disclosed that he has been observing the national interest surrounding his role in the deal.
He posited that his service as a public official has been characterised by the mindset of protecting the public purse.
“I have observed the high level of National interest that has greeted the narrative about my role in the purchase and acquisition of SPUTNIK V vaccine.
“In all of my public life as Deputy Minister, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and now as minister, I have been guided by the mandate to protect the public purse at all times and as minister of Health to also safeguard Ghanaian lives especially during this pandemic,” portions of Agyeman-Manu’s statement released on Saturday, August 14, reads.
