By Eugenia Asumadu-Sakyi.
As pressure mounts on the Health Minister, Kweku Agyeman Manu, to resign over alleged procurement breaches, Anti-Corruption Campaigner Vitus Azim has added his voice to calls supporting the resignation of Mr. Agyeman Manu.
Speaking to GBC NEWS, Mr. Azeem pointed out his reason for supporting the calls, saying, “I support the calls for him to resign, he should not wait for the President, because he will have no option than to fire him,’’ the Anti-Corruption Campaigner stated.
He questioned the report issued after the Parliamentary Committee Probe on the Sputnik-v Vaccines, and said, “some questions remain not answered, what were the conditions that governed the contract? What were the terms of payments?” Mr. Azim questioned.
He was unhappy that the Committee that probed procurement of the Sputnik-V Vaccines fell short of recommending sanctions.
“Was there financial loss to the State?” Mr. Azeem questioned. The Anti- Corruption Campaigner suggested that to ensure such occurrences are curtailed, persons who breach the laws must face the law, “punish when procurement laws are breached,” said Anti- Corruption Campaigner, Vitus Azeem.
Parliament took a break on Saturday, August 7, without taking a decision on the Report issued by the Parliamentary Committee that probed the Sputnik V Vaccine contract. When the media laid hands on the report, which went public, some people asked the Minister to resign.
The Minority in Parliament took the lead, where Members of Parliament sang to register their disagreement, after the 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, called off a vote on the fate of the Health Minister.
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has said they insist that the Minister resigns.
“We will not abandon this matter. If the President does not revoke the appointment of the Minister for Health, we will request him through a vote of censorship to consider that matter,” he said.
The Committee concluded that the government paid Dubai-based businessman Sheik Al – Maktoum GHS16 million for the vaccines despite claims by the Health Minister under oath that no money was paid. The report also concluded that the Minister breached constitutional provisions on prior Parliamentary approval and the Public Procurement Act.