Month: August 2021

President of the Ghana-Ethiopia Parliamentary Friendship Association, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo has welcomed a delegation of Ethiopian parliamentarians who are on a study tour of Ghana’s parliamentary system and called on the Speaker of the House on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

He assured the delegation that the friendship association is doing well in Ghana, and as a Ghana -Ethiopia Friendship Association they are doing all they can to promote the relationship but for the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers would have visited the Ethiopian Parliament.

“We are looking forward for that opportunity, again in 2019 during your independence anniversary we had a statement on the floor of our Parliament to commemorate it, as you can see in the copy of the statement, I have handed over to you”.

Dr. Marfo recounted his association with a mate of his whiles in the Netherlands working on his doctorate, his office mate was an Ethiopian a very interesting person, that led to his love joining the Ethiopian Friendship Association base on the good relation they had.

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The middle-man, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and his SL Global, that were contracted by Ghana through the Ministry of Health to procure Sputnik-V vaccines for the country to help it fight the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, has paid an amount of GH₵2,470,000.00 into the state treasury.

The money is a refund for 280,000 non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.

Ghana, had through the Ministry of Health, contracted the Emerati to supply her 300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine at a contract sum of US$5,700,000 at US$19.00 a dose.

The move was spurred by the difficulties in obtaining more COVID-19 vaccines having taken delivery of its first consignment of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines developed by the Serum Institute of India through the COVIX Facility Initiative with logistical support from UNICEF.

However, the UAE businessman and his SL Global company, wrote a letter dated March 9, 2021, to Ministry of Health to terminate the contract with the excuse that they are unable to supply the quantities of doses as agreed in the deal.

The attention of some Members of Parliament, especially, those on the Minority side, was drawn to the fact that the Ministry of Health had entered into a procurement contract for COVID-19 vaccines with the belief that some breaches were made.

Accordingly, the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, moved a Private Members Motion for the House to set up a committee to probe the matter and same was seconded by the Ranking Member of the Health Committee and MP for Juaboaso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on Thursday, July 8, 2021.

The motion was adopted by the House leading to the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the Procurement contract between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Sheikh Dalmook Al Maktoum and S. L. Global, for the supply of Sputnik-V COVID-19 Vaccines.

The Committee which was chaired by the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had held the view in its report that although the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, breached the procurement processes and Article 181(5) of the constitution, he acted in good fate with clear intentions of saving lives in an emergency situation.

The Committee therefore recommended to the Ministry of Finance to contact Sheikh Al Maktoum for a refund of US$2,470,000.00 being cost of the non-supplied Sputnik-V vaccines.

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, appearing before the Committee admitted that even though he did not seek Parliamentary approval as well as that of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for the said deal, he was in the process of going to Parliament to ratify the Agreement.

He had also written to the PPA to also regularize the deal.

The findings of the Committee report have led a cross section of the public to demand for the head of Mr. Agyeman-Manu.

But Mr. Agyeman-Manu, in a letter dated August 2, 2021, responding to the contract termination by the Emerati Shiekh, also requested for a refund of the money paid for the purchase of the Sputnik-V vaccines, excluding the already supplied 20,000 doses.

Ghana had made an advance payment of 50% (US$2,850,000.00) of the total contract sum of US$5,700,000.00 for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Following from the Minister’s letter, the Emerati in a letter dated August 5, 2021, acknowledged receipt of the Ministry of Health’s letter and requested that the Ghanaian officials share with them bank details where the refund needs to be processed.

The request was duly complied with by the Ministry of Health.

On August 11, 2021, the Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum and his SL Global company again wrote to the Ministry of Health, announcing a refund into Ghana’s treasury, an amount of US$2,470,000.00, representing 280,000 non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.

“The requested amount of Two Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (US$2,470,000) has already been refunded to the designated bank account, as communicated by you”, the letter from the Emerati in part read.

The Deputy Majority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, commenting on the development on Accra-based Oman FM, confirmed receipt of the refund payment of the non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.

He said Mr. Agyeman-Manu, all along, was candid in his responses, when he appeared before the Committee, having entered into an agreement with a genuine businessman.

According to Afenyo-Markin, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Effutu, the refund of US$2,470,000 brings closure to the matter since there was no financial loss, believing that those calling for the head of the Minister of Health will now have a change of mind.

“As we speak today, H. H. Sheikh Al Maktoum has refunded the money in full. So, no financial loss was incurred”, he noted.

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Member of Parliament for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Arko Kofi Nokoe, has said Ghana’s continues closure of its land borders particularly with La Cote d’ lvoire is really troubling.

According to him sixty-five (65) percent of Nzema indigens are across the border in La Cote d’Ivoire and the boarder is the heart beat of the Nzema land.

He said they trade, and transact other businesses with their Ivorian counterparts, but “now activities in Nzema land is dead, people are struggling in this COVID-19 era”.

In an interview, he pointed out that people who patronized hotels in the Nzema land are no longer coming in and her colleague the MP for Jomoro made a statement on the floor of the House, pointing out that people are committing suicide.

“It’s a fact, and we are appealing to the President to open the border. Its closure has become a headache, when the boarder is opened the COVID-19 protocols would be followed, people have to work and eat as COVID-19 has come to stay with us”, he stated

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Public Account Committee (PAC) of parliament is to start public hearing in the various regions as part of dealing with the Auditor-Generals audited report for December 31, 2018 to 2019.

Vice chairman of the PAC Dr. Samuel Atta Mills in an interview noted that by the end of August 2021, the Committee would be traveling to Tamale, Kumasi, Takoradi, Ho and round the country to do more of the audit.

“We would move to ensure that we conduct our exercise, there are several reports that we have to look at, similar to those ones we have gone through before the House goes on recess”.

In an interview he pointed out that pre-university reports would be looked into and they are in the process of writing letters to all auditees and “we would look at 2018 to 2019 reports”.

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Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has been elected acting vice-chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

Mr. Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonus from CPA Ghana branch polled 16 votes whiles the other contender from CPA New Zealand branch, Gerry Brownlee polled 6 votes.

The voting of CPA acting vice-chairperson was undertaken in accordance with Article 21(6) of their constitution which allows election of acting vice-chairperson in the absence of a formal meeting.

An election to determine a successful candidate with a simple majority vote would take place by an email ballot of the Executive Committee members.

In a statement by the Secretary-General of CPA Stephen Twigg noted that, they are looking forward to welcoming Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to their upcoming Executive Committee meeting which would take place in September 27-30, 2021.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com