Dr Stephen Amoah, Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, has said that he finds nothing wrong with the Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu admitting that he made a mistake in acquiring ‘overpriced’ Sputnik V vaccines from Russia via an Emirati intermediary.
Thus, he pointed to Section 18 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (PFM Act), which he claimed is emphatic on three circumstances, such as State of Emergency, Natural Disaster, and Health Epidemic/Pandemic, as grounds for suspending the country’s “physical” rules.
Dr. Amoah said that with the PFM Act 2016 in effect with the implementation of the COVID-19, the government’s choices are those that are made to save lives and money in the nation.
No one would expect the Health Minister to go through the normal procedure of coming to parliament to get permission from the august house for the Sputnik V agreement, he added.
Dr. Amoah said that the law is clear on the point that given the pace at which people were dying and the general state of fear in the nation, it was anticipated that the Minister of Health would behave the way he did, unless we are being hypocritical about the fatalities in the country.
He made the announcement during an interview with Johnnie Hughes on TV3’s New Day on Wednesday, July 21.
Dr. Amoah was speaking in response to the admission by Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu that he acted in error in acquiring ‘overpriced’ Sputnik V vaccines from Russia through Emirati middleman Sheikh Ahmed Al Dalmook Al Maktoum into the country without consulting parliament.
“Let me tell you, the Public Financial Management Act(PFM Act 2016) 921, Section 18, it is stated emphatically three conditions, State of Emergency, Natural Disaster and Health Epidemic or pandemic, just as we are having, even in times like this, our physical rules and policies are to suspended. So even now, decisions that are to be taken are decisions between saving lives and money”, he pointed out.
He continued “and one wouldn’t have expected that people could go through parliament, looking at the way people were dying and panicking, unless we are not being honest with Ghanaians. People were dying in a serious disaster, even you think the PFM Act would have stated that? What is wrong with what? Per the circumstances, what result did we get? Ghana is counted as one of the best managers of COVID-19 economy saving a lot of lives, I would rather support what will save lives than money”.
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SOURCE: ATLFM ONLINE
