Health minister breaks silence on pressure to resign; says he wants to protect the public purse

Health minister breaks silence on pressure to resign; says he wants to protect the public purse

- The health minister insists he is protecting the public purse

- The minister issued a statement confirming the refund of $2.4 million from an agent

- President Akufo-Addo has been criticized over the vaccine procurement scandal

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After pressure to resign in his first press statement, the health minister insists he is always committed to protecting the public purse.

According to Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, his main objective as Ghana's health minister is to "safeguard the lives of Ghanaians during the global pandemic."

Health minister breaks silence on pressure to resign; says he wants to protect the public purse
Health minister breaks silence on pressure to resign; says he wants to protect the public purse
Source: UGC

In his press statement, the health minister revealed that the Dubai Businessman who was paid $2,470,000 in return for 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines had returned the money in full.

Is Akufo-Addo corrupt?

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Media personality, Captain Smart, believes President Akufo-Addo is overwhelmed by cases of corruption in his administration.

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You're corrupt, don't trust you with Ghana's money - Captain Smart to Akufo-Addo

Captain Smart, who hosts the morning show on Onua TV, feels disappointed in the president amid his assertions of protecting the public purse.

"I do not believe you when you say you will protect the public purse. See what is happening around us and in your administration. I dare say you are the true definition of corruption," the media personality argued.

The cry of Captain Smart follows the playout of the Sputnik V vaccine procurement, which exposed how the health minister, together with the finance minister, breached procurement protocols to secure 300,000 doses of the vaccine from a Dubai businessman at an inflated cost of $2 million.

Pressure mounts on President Akufo-Addo to sack the health minister, but the president remains adamant about doing so.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Nii Ayi Ayitey avatar

Nii Ayi Ayitey Nii Ayi Ayitey, aka Charles Ayitey, is an experienced journalist who covered Current Affairs news for Yen.com.gh from 2015-2021. He also worked for such companies as Multimedia Group Limited, Scooper, and Face2Face Africa. Nii Ayi Ayitey holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (2015). Currently, he's studying at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.