Sputnik V fiasco: Akufo-Addo has ‘bipolar attitude toward corruption’ – Thomas Anaba

President Nana Akufo-Addo’s attitude toward corruption can best be described as “bipolar”, the Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Health Policy and Research Analysis, Dr Thomas Anaba has said in connection with the controversial and botched Sputnik V vaccine procurement saga.

Speaking to Accra100.5FM’s mid-day news on Thursday, 12 August 2021, Dr Anaba told Ohenewaa Kesse Boahene (Gargantuan Lady) in an interview that: “Our president, looking at his behaviour, since he came to the Flagstaff House, toward corruption, he has displayed a bipolar attitude toward corruption”.

“In one vein, he is angry there is corruption and in another vein, he is not perturbed about corruption”, Dr Anaba observed.

“When it comes to issues pertaining to other people outside his family and friends, he’s quick to send them to court: Look at the way they chased Ayariga because of an ambulance; look at the way they chased Charlotte Osei because of procurement breaches”, Dr Anaba noted.

“Now, it is evident that there is misappropriation of money and there is a violation of the Constitution but the president is not seeing that. So, it means that anytime corruption-related charges or allegations are levelled against anybody close to him, then the president doesn’t see anything; that is why I say he’s suffering from what we call a bipolar attitude toward corruption and that is not good”, Dr Anaba added.

President Nana Akufo-Addo recently said Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has endured a lot of suffering at the ministry.

The president made the comment when he met the chiefs and people of the Bono Region on Tuesday, 10 August 2021, as part of his two-day tour of Mr Agyeman-Manu’s home region.

Addressing the chiefs and traditional leaders, the president, in jest, said: “There are a lot of people from the Bono Region in my government, including the Minister of Health, who is currently receiving slaps”.

“He is an indigene of Dormaa. He has really suffered in that Health Ministry and is still suffering”.

The president’s comment comes at a time that pressure has been mounting on Mr Agyeman-Manu to resign following the botched procurement of 300,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from a Dubai middleman, Sheikh Al Maktoum.

An initial sum of $2,470,000 was paid to the businessman but the deal was cancelled after 20,000 doses were supplied following reports by the Norwegian press that Ghana had agreed to pay $19 per dose instead of $10.

Mr Agyeman-Manu subsequently wrote to the Sheikh for a refund, which the Sheikh has done.

An ad hoc committee that investigated the deal revealed that Mr Agyeman-Manu breached all the procurement processes and sidelined parliament in the deal.

The minority caucus in parliament, some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress, civil society organisations as well as ordinary Ghanaians, have called on Mr Agyeman-Manu to resign over the matter.

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