‘I Was Desperate, So I Didn’t Think Properly When I Entered Into The Spuntnik V Vaccine Contract’ – Health Minister Tells Parliament [Video]

Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has admitted he failed to seek parliamentary approval for the supply of Sputnik V vaccines through middleman Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum.

According to him, there was a desperate need to procure the vaccines at the peak of the pandemic, hence he invoked Executive Instrument 61, approved by Parliament for the contract with the United Arab Emirates royal.

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However, he said his ministry had plans to submit the agreement to Parliament for the needed approval in accordance with Article 181 clause 5 of the 1992 constitution.

Mr Agyemang-Manu disclosed this on Monday when he appeared before the nine-member Ad-hoc Committee probing the procurement of Sputnik-V vaccines.

He argued that the contract with Sheikh Al Maktoum was the best for the country but was quick to add he could’ve signed a better deal today.

The government engaged Al-Maktoum through a contract that saw the country procuring Sputnik V vaccines at a unit cost of $19 through which 20,000 doses have already been supplied.

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Meanwhile, the contract has been terminated after Sheikh Maktoum stated that “he is struggling to get the vaccines due to global shortage.”

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Source: GhanaArticles.com