The Vice President of Imani Africa, Kofi Bentil, says the Sputnik V vaccine procurement controversy is the worst corruption incident in a public institution.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Bentil stated that the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu breached every procurement process and constitutional requirement concerning the contract.
Therefore, he believes President Akufo-Addo downplaying the incident is “extremely disappointing” and reflects poorly on his stewardship.
Indicating that the President rode on the back of anti-graft to garner votes in the 2016 election, Mr Bentil said the indifference of the incumbent government will also affect the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“This [Sputnik V vaccine saga] is the worst we have seen in this fight against institutional corruption. And at this level, everything that can be breached has been breached.
“This will be one of those things that will be drummed insistently going forward; the NPP will always have to answer for it, they will always be reminded of it, and this President’s legacy will be stained,” he stated.
Mr Bentil further added that the Akufo-Addo government has failed to fulfil its promise of “protecting the public purse.”
Citing what has been described as the forced removal of former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, the Policy Analyst said President Akufo-Addo has performed woefully eradicating grafts from public institutions.
However, Mr Bentil suggested that government can still recuperate public trust by taking stringent measures to deal with controversies that erupt during his tenure.
“There is still some room. But if he goes ahead and makes a joke of it, if he goes ahead and does not take a stance on it and allows it to be as it is, he would have really told us all who are fighting corruption that we are wasting our time,” he said.
Following revelations in the report of the Parliamentary Committee that probed the Sputnik V vaccine contract, there have been grown calls for the resignation of Mr Agyeman-Manu.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu also says the Minister “should have gone a long time ago.”
“You see that the report has made matters worse for him,” he explained.
Also, the New Crusading Guide newspaper Editor-in-Chief, Kweku Baako Jnr, says the Minister has to resign.
“If he is minded to… resign, I will endorse it; I will vote for him if he were to do the honourable thing and just quit. You cannot defend this.”
Myjoyonline.com