The Minority says it is unfair to call for the head of the Health Minister alone
The Minority in Parliament says it is unfair for Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu to take the fall for the botched Sputnik V Vaccine deal.
According to the Minority, calls for the head of Health Minister are unfair since Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is responsible for the failed deal that has sparked outrage in the country.
Speaking in parliament Wednesday, Minority spokesperson on Roads and Transport Governs Kwame Agbodza said “….now, the outcome of the committee that was set up and investigated this showed clearly that there were violations in terms of procurement and everything, But curiously, I am unable to come to terms with the fact that this government has come to this house before in an emergency and got things done.”
“But for the President not to take responsibility through his finance minister is what bothers me.”
He intimated “like I said, you cannot negotiate and commit government of Ghana to Ghana cedis expenditure without the authorization of the finance ministry. If they’ve signed a contract to supply drugs and the contact says issue a letter of credit and you the finance minister has gone ahead to pay cash, why am I supposed to believe that the culprit is somewhere else aside from the finance minister?
“The culprit is the finance minister. Yes, the person who didn’t come to parliament, ought to have been the finance minister and not the health minister because it would have been a joint memo. So, sacrificing the health minister and leaving the finance minister would not solve the problem. So, the President has no choice than to protect his finance minister.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo appears to have made light of the controversy surrounding the botched Sputnik V vaccine deal.
Addressing a gathering in the Bono Region Tuesday, the president who did not comment on the controversy directly said the minister is ‘currently receiving slaps from Ghanaians’ amidst laughter.
“There are a lot of people from the Bono Region in my government; including the Minister of Health, who is currently receiving slaps. He is an indigene of Dormaa. He has really suffered in that Health Ministry and is still suffering,” he said.
Mr Agyeman Manu is currently on a two-week leave.