Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, has defended Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu as demands for his resignation grow over the bungled Sputnik V vaccination contract.
Mr. Ofori-Atta claims that Ghanaians are uncaring, despite the Health Minister’s attempts to obtain vaccinations for the country while people’ lives were on the line.
The Finance Minister should take measures to collect nearly $2 million paid to Sheikh Ah Makhtoum for undelivered vaccinations, according to an ad hoc nonpartisan parliamentary committee that investigated the transaction.
Meanwhile, the Sheikh has agreed to reimburse the money in response to a letter from the Health Minister seeking a return.
Despite the Health Minister’s assertion before the committee that he was unaware that any money had been spent on vaccinations, this is the case.
The Finance Minister, who has also been chastised for the transfer of the funds to the businessman, told Accra-based Asaase Radio that the Health Minister did nothing wrong.
“The people [middlemen] have said they can’t supply the vaccines; which means that they have broken the contract, and then we get our $2 million back, and then we move on. But to be so unsympathetic to somebody who felt that what can he do to ensure that there is continuity for Ghanaians, and now sit comfortably to chastise him without empathizing with him; I am empathetic of him, and I expect that others will also realize the type of pressure that he was under at the time and his commitment to ensuring that Ghanaians are safe.”
“I got a number of interviews by a lot of European media outlets, and I asked them; you sit there and ask me why I am paying more for vaccines when you are hoarding those vaccines, and I have one out of a hundred people being vaccinated whereas you have eighty over a hundred, and then you sit there and ask me why are you doing this.”
Sammy Gyamfi believes that Ofori-Atta should also resign for the shambolic Sputnik V vaccination deal
The National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, claims that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, must also be held accountable for the tumultuous Sputnik V vaccine procurement deal. Sammy Gyamfi said on Facebook that the Minister of Finance should be held equally responsible for the country’s humiliation.
“Why are we over-concentrating on the Health Minister in the discussion about the botched Sputnik Vaccine Supply deal when the chief culprit is none other than the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who without Parliamentary approval, paid a whopping 160 billion old Ghana cedis to the Dubai Sheikh”.
Nana Addo says Agyeman-Manu has suffered in the Ministry of Health
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has been subjected to a great deal of hardship in the Ministry.
The President, on the other hand, praised the Minister as one of the region’s famous sons who had excelled in his government.
“In my administration, there are several individuals from the Bono Region, including the Minister of Health, who is now getting slaps [from Ghanaians].” He was born on the island of Dormaa.”
He remarked of the nominee, “He has truly suffered at that Health Ministry and is still suffering,” while joking with dignitaries and others present at the event.”
Source: CITINEWSROOM
