It appears Health Minister is taking the bullet for someone – Martin Kpebu

1. Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says it appears the Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu may not be the only top government official involved in the murky Sputnik V procurement controversy.

Contributing to a panel discussion on the matter on JoyNews news analysis program Newsfile, Martin Kpebu noted that the series of explanations offered by the Health Minister does not add up.

“The point is that he comes to Parliament with a letter, on the 15th of July, that Sheikh Dalmook Al Maktoum has withdrawn. But on July 25, the response from the Sheikh’s office to him is that I will refund the money when I receive a termination notice, so it means the agreement is still in force yet he said the Sheikh has terminated, you’ve come to show us a letter”, he said.

According to a report by an ad hoc committee set up to investigate the botched deal, it was revealed that the Minister had breached every procurement process and constitutional requirements about the contract.

This has prompted calls from several quarters for the Health Minister to resign.

Martin Kpebu also reiterated his call for the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, to resign.

He stressed, “it’s beginning to look like Agyeman-Manu is taking the bullet for somebody because it just doesn’t add up, it looks like when we catch them here, then they try to contrive another lie because it just doesn’t make sense.”

Mr Kpebu stated that the Minister has demonstrated that he is not fit for the office.

“From day one, it has always been clear that this man should have gone a long time. The more he talks, the more he demonstrates that he is not fit for the position.”

Despite calls for his resignation, the embattled Health Minister in his first press statement since the controversy over the botched procurement of the Sputnik-V vaccines from Sheikh Al-Maktoum says he has been observing the national interest surrounding his role in the deal.

Kwaku Agyeman-Manu said his actions since his assumption of office has been to “protect the public purse at all times and to also safeguard Ghanaian lives especially during this pandemic.”