The African Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis thinks that Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu should resign because he circumvented due procedure in the failed Sputnik V vaccine purchase.
Dr Thomas Anaba, Executive Director of the Centre, stated in an interview with Citi News: ‘I believe he must honorably retire,’ or the president should dismiss him.
Mr Agyeman-Manu, Board Member of the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, admitted that he was not seeking cabinet and parliamentary approval before engaging a private individual for the procurement of sputnik V vaccines, answering questions from the biparti-based parliamentary committee investigating the controversial Sputtnik V vaccine procurement.
He claimed the urgency of the situation overtook him.
Moreover, the Food and Drugs Authority did not undertake to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine as it did for Ghana’s AstraZeneca Vaccine.
Dr. Anaba emphasized that, even if it is not typical for Ghana, it is unacceptable to infringe the procurement rules.
“Ministers were imprisoned in Malawi. Ministers were dismissed over COVID in South Africa. How can anybody who understands more than us all when it comes to procurement allow us such flagrant disrespect of constitutional standards and procurement laws?”
“Four years he has chaired the Public Accounts Committee, and reproved those who made mistakes. He wondered how he might be pardoned.
The Health Minister also informed the bi-partisan committee that Ghana was terminated by its contract with the nation with the firm which has committed to providing Ghana with expensive Sputnik V vaccines.
The agreement also said that Ghana would acquire Sputnik vaccines for 3.4 million unit-wide expenditures of $19 rather than $10 per dosage per ex-fabric.
It became apparent that Ghana had asked the acquisition of two businessmen to buy the doses of the Sputnik V vaccination for 19 $ each dose to Ghana instead of the 10 $ per dosage on the international market when a Norweigan-based news source, Verdens Gang, reported.
According to the Ghana Health Service, the original price offered for the vaccination was US$25, but down to US$19 was negotiated.
Source: CITINEWSROOM
