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Political Scientist, Dr. Asah Asante has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to sack the Minister of Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu over his involvement in the Sputnik V vaccine scandal.

The Health Minister, in a probe before a Parliamentary Committee, disclosed his mistakes in securing the deal.

“I was in a desperate and helpless situation with the management of the covid numbers. In February, we had 78 deaths; by March, we had 56 deaths, and these were the numbers that pushed me to act…if you were the Health Minister, I think you might have taken certain decisions that in hindsight you may not have done those things. The country was not in normal times...this was the environment I found myself in and out of desperation, frustration, and so many things.

I was seriously in a situation that could not make me think properly. I dealt with the Sheikh before the frantic efforts to get the vaccines from the right source. I made efforts, but I did not juxtapose the timing with the efforts that I made. I made that error and in hindsight, it won’t happen again,” he said.

Minister Allegedly Peddled Falsehood?

The Minister is also said to have written to a middleman to refund money paid him for the purchase of the vaccine although he had initially debunked claims of financing the deal.

Following public pressure, the Minister wrote to the office of the Sheikh on Monday, August 2 saying, “I wish to formally accept your termination of our agreement dated 9th March 2021 for the supply of Sputnik V vaccine as per letter number ADM/LT/GHA/00/21/101 Dated 14th July 2021.

“By this letter I also wish to formally request for the refund of the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses which should be the total amount paid to your office minus the amount due for the 20,000 you already supplied in line with your earlier email dated 25th July 2021 in which it was affirmed that on the 13th April 2021 funds were transferred into your accounts as 50 per cent advanced of the initial batch of 300,000 doses.”

Resignation Calls

Making submissions on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Dr. Asah Asante asked the Minister to swallow the bitter pill and step down but quickly added that should he find it difficult to vacate his office, the President must help him.

''if you make a mistake and people insist that you step down but your character shows opposition, it means you are not remorseful about what you did. I believe if he will step down, it will help him. It will help him because he will get the opportunity to prepare himself in his endeavors and also assuage those whose tempers are high regarding this issue''.

". . if you do something at will, infract the laws and people counsel you but you ignore them and it reaches Parliament before you tell the truth, I don't think the Minister should continue to be in office''.

"The President must sack him. He shouldn't delay at all because he appointed him into his ministerial office but if he's done an unsatisfactory work, he shouldn't waste time," he insisted.