The Director of Communications for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa has stated that the Health Minister’s two-week leave was not to shield him from public criticism.

Speaking on Saturday, September 4, 2021, on Newsfile Mr Buaben Asamoa clarified that the leave came at a period when most Cabinet members were on leave.

“It was not specific to him [the Health Minsiter]. So let’s not create the impression that he was given leave to escape public opinion,” he said.

Following his role in the procurement of some Sputnik-V vaccines for the country, pressure mounted on Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, to resign or be fired.

Revelations in the report of the Parliamentary Committee tasked to probe the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines indicated that $2,850,000 (representing 50% of the contract sum of $5,700,000.00) was paid to Messrs Al Maktoum despite the Minister claiming no payment had been made to the best of his knowledge.

However, Sheikh Al Maktoum presented Ghana with 20,000 doses of the vaccine instead of the initially agreed doses of 300,000.

The report also revealed that the Minister proceeded with the procurement without Parliamentary approval. This sparked public outcry for the Minister to resign.

Shortly after calls for his resignation, a letter from the Presidency indicated that the Health Minister has taken a two-week leave.