Sputnik V deal: Agyemang Manu should have resigned by now – Kwakye Ofosu

Former Deputy Communication Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has charged the Akufo-Addo government to prosecute Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu over the overpriced Sputnik V vaccine deal.

Speaking on the Gumbe Show on TV XYZ, Kwakye Ofosu said “the minister would have resigned after appearing before the committee, if he had respect for Ghanaians. He would have resigned awaiting prosecution.”

He added, “If not for the swiftness of Kwabena Mintah Akando (MP for Juaboso) a d the Minority, this fraudulent deal would have gone through.”

]The Dormaa Central Legislator, who is been hounded by analysts, made headlines within the week for signing a contract for COVID-19 vaccines without Parliamentary approval.

He also admitted failing to seek cabinet and approval before engaging a private individual for the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines in a bid to manage Ghana’s COVID-19 cases.

Answering questions from the bi-partisan parliamentary committee probing the controversial Sputnik V vaccine procurement, Mr. Manu said the urgent and critical nature of the circumstances at the time, did not permit him to use the right channels.

“I relied on the Executive Instrument 61 which was passed by Parliament to hide behind the emergency clauses that had been invoked to try to see that if I could do that [procure the vaccines], and later inform Parliament that this is what I had done, and I needed regularisation,” the Minister explained.

According to him, he engaged Sheikh Al-Maktoum before making attempts to get the vaccines from the right source.

“I was seriously in a situation that could not make me think properly… I dealt with the Sheikh before the frantic efforts to get the vaccines from the right source. I made efforts, but I did not juxtapose the timing with the efforts that I made. I made that error and in hindsight, it won’t happen again,” Manu said.

Source: ghanaweb.com