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The Minister has come under intense pressure due to the fallout from the botched procurement of Sputnik V vaccines.
He is said to have evaded parliamentary approval before going ahead to sign the deal with Dubai-based businessman, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum.
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Kwaku Agyemang-Manu
Although Sheikh Maktoum has since refunded $2.8 million to Ghana for his inability to deliver on his part of the deal, some Ghanaians have called for Mr. Agyeman-Manu’s resignation.
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In a statement, the Health Minister said he has always endeavoured to “protect the public purse at all times” and to also “safeguard Ghanaian lives especially during this pandemic.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, believes it will be harsh to make the Minister resign over the botched deal.
According to him, Agyeman-Manu meant well for Ghanaians and must, therefore, be given the benefit of the doubt.
“Where I sit, the man comes with his story which is that at a particular point in time, death rate and infection rates were going up and government to government relationships that have been put in place for vaccine supply have also failed us, and he needed to take action,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said on Joy FM’s Newfile on Saturday.
“He needed to make vaccines available for Ghanaians to vaccinate. So I think that the minister worked in good faith and he meant well for Ghanaians.”
Read the Health Minister’s full statement below:
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Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu's letter