Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu, according to Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George, must resign because he has failed.
While speaking on the New Day show on TV3 on Monday, February 21, he commented on a health project being undertaken in his constituency, saying, “I am hoping that it will not end up like the La General Hospital where the sod was cut and two years on nothing.” The contractor is on-site, I have seen that they are doing the land clearing. The Health Minister, if he survives the vote of censure or whoever succeeds him, should bear in mind that I am going to be on their neck.”
When asked why the Minority is being so harsh on the Minister, he responded, “We are not being too had; we are just using the law.” The health minister says he stopped thinking. If he stops thinking, in his own words he said he is not thinking. There is a reason the brain is in your head, it is to think and so if you are a minister and you are nothing you shouldn’t be the minister. Parliament and governance is not the church, forgiveness is for God.”
All 137 members of Parliament’s Minority have signed a motion to censure the Minister of Health, who also happens to be the Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central Constituency.
The motion was submitted to the Speaker of Parliament via memorandum on Wednesday, February 16.
According to the motion, Mr. Agyemang-Manu engaged in a business transaction as Ghana’s Minister of Health without first seeking approval from Parliament, which is a violation of Article 81 of the 1992 Constitution.
He has also been accused of signing a procurement agreement without first obtaining approval from the Public Procurement Authority’s Board (PPA).
The Minority also accuses the Health Minister of dishonesty, claiming to the Health Committee that he obtained the Sputnik-V vaccines at an ex-factory price of $10 per dose when they were actually obtained at $19 and $18.5 per dose.
The Health Minister is also accused of lying and misrepresenting himself under oath, having made a $2.85 million initial payment to Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s private office while telling an ad hoc committee that no payment had been made.
He is accused of perjury by the Minority.
“The above conduct, being in direct breach of the Constitution and laws passed by this Honourable House, the Minister of Health be removed from office as Minister by a vote of Censure passed in accordance with article 82 of the Constitution.”
Mr. Agyemang-Manu testified before a nine-member bipartisan committee on the procurement of Sputnik-V vaccines that he was not himself when he made the decision because the country was in dire straits due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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SOURCE: 3NEWS
