Parliament is expected to drag the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu before it in the coming days, for failing to make any significant progress in its investigations into the Central Medical Stores fire.
Under the erstwhile Mahama government, an investigative report concluded that, the incident was an act of arson, but no one has been prosecuted since 2015.
[contextly_sidebar id=”ttFRJShwDulmix1MoM4YuoYy55Omd1lR”]Over one hundred million cedis worth of drugs were destroyed in the fire. Both the U.S and U.K. governments who contributed significantly to the supplies, have on several occasions demanded answers.
The Health Ministry subsequently started its own investigations but is yet to come out with any real conclusions. The chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, Collins Augustine Ntim, said the Minister will be summoned to answer some critical questions.
“It is very necessary that we invite as a committee, the Minister, and then officials of the Ministry to be able to educate us, and then inform us as to what structures and interventions are in place to unravel the mystery pertaining to the burning of the Central Medical Store. I think that the new Minister has not been in office for long, but I think that it is time for him to take a critical look at the matter.”
Donors threaten to cut funds to Ghana
A few weeks ago, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, indicated that some donor partners have threatened to cut funds to Ghana if government fails to bring the suspected arsonists in the Central Medical Stores case to book.
The Minister said the donors are “threatening to withdraw some of the donations they give to us until some issues have been resolved.”
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson, had also questioned the lack of action or prosecution on the matter. He insisted that the arson could not be swept under the carpet because the warehouse had about $7 million worth of items donated by American taxpayers.
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By: Marian Ansah & Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com/Ghana