Ghana has canceled the deal with Emirati middleman Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum to purchase Sputnik V vaccines, which were scheduled to arrive in July, according to Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.
The minister appeared before a nine-member committee to answer questions about the status of the contract to procure the ‘overpriced’ Sputnik V vaccines from Russia, as he was the same middleman who delivered the first batch of vaccines sold to Ghana at an inflated price of $19 rather than the ex-factory price of $10.
Mr Agyeman-Manu told the nine-member bipartisan parliamentary investigation committee on Thursday, July 15, that it was the Sheikh who notified the ministry of the contract termination on Wednesday.
According to the minister, the Sheikh stated in the letter that he was having difficulty raising the vaccines in order to deliver them to Ghana.
“We are not just terminating the contract because, after the contract, they gave us two weeks to supply the first 300,000 doses of the vaccines that we have ordered based on the letters of credit we have given them as part of the terms of agreement but our letters of credit delayed but we got to them later. They returned to inform us that they had ran out of stock and were waiting for the manufacturer to provide them, and that they would supply us in two weeks,” the Health Minister told the committee.
He went on to say, “After two weeks, we asked, and they claimed they still hadn’t received anything.” So we began negotiating with them that if that is the case, they should allow us to withdraw from the contract so that we might do something else, such as purchase vaccinations for ourselves. Because our trust in them to provide the vaccinations was dwindling, we kept putting pressure on them, and they agreed to extend the deadline until July. They later informed us verbally that they would be unable to provide any longer, and we asked that the arrangement be terminated, which they have done. So, as we sit here, there is no contract between the two of us”.
Mr Agyeman-Manu further said that another deal with an intermediate business called S.L Global, a Ghanaian corporation, is being reviewed.
“We still haven’t granted any letters of credit S.L.,” he added. Despite the fact that the contract exists, it is global. The business is also indicating that they will be unable to provide, therefore we are currently working with them.”
Read Also: Yaw Tog stated fact, but unnecessary – D-Black
SOURCE: ATLFM ONLINE
