The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been admonished to use structures in Parliament to address any grievances instead of ‘running’ to the press.
According to the Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore Dr. Ayew Afriyie, continuation of the practice will mean the minority does not have faith in the judgement of the Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin.
The Minority in Parliament led by its leader held a press conference on June 24, 2021 where it has described as inaccurate, claims by the Ministry of Health that it engaged representatives of the Russian government in its quest to procure the Sputnik V vaccine directly.
The Ministry of Health in a press statement issued on June 19, stated that, “the MoH has, since early this year, made several efforts to procure the Sputnik V vaccine directly by engaging the Russian authorities, such as the Russian Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the CEO of Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the CEO of Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and the CEO of Limited Liability Company ‘Human Vaccine’. Meetings were also held with the Deputy Ambassador of Russian in Ghana“.
But the minority and MP for Tamale South, insisted that checks made by the Minority group about the unlawful procurement of vaccines revealed otherwise.
“Indeed our checks indicate that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has opened direct engagements with over 30 Governments as at February this year including African countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia, Guinea and Algeria. We have a copy of a statement RDIF issued in Moscow confirming this fact”.
Adding that “The NDC caucus can also confirm that these middlemen made no efforts to engage the Russian Embassy when they arrived in Accra. Our government did not also contact them for any due diligence neither were Russian Embassy officials invited into the meetings with these shadowy characters”.
However, the Effiduase-Asokore MP and Chairman of the Health Committee said the minority could have channel their concerns through laydown structures in Parliament.
“What they could have done is to file an urgent question which will compel the Health Minister to come and answer. Instead, they chose to run to the media. We have structures, use it”
He also admitted that the minority is fighting a right course but disagreed with the mode of which they are going about it.
“The minority through one of their press encounters said the Sputnik V vaccine can be procured for 10 dollars and I remember Dr. Nsiah Asare challenged them that if they can get business people who can bring the vaccine at 10 dollars, they should provide it but as at now they have not been able to do that”.
Just as the same way me and my colleagues got double vaccination at the expense of taxpayers, so do I want everyone to get same dose, so for me I won’t do politics with health issues, I will never, Dr. Ayew Afriyie stressed.
