A livid member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed his disappointment at the absence of the Health Minister, Kweku Agyemang Manu, and his two deputies at the committee.
This transpired at the PAC hearing today, Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
The drama unfolded when the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Emma Ofori Agyemang told the committee she was sitting in for the Chief Director and the Ministers who are yet to arrive.
She continued, “My minister too is not back from the constituency, as well as the other two deputy ministers. So I’ll be leading the discussion on behalf of the Chief Director.”
Unhappy with the information, a visibly upset Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Hon. Yusif Sulemana retorted, “Mr Chairman, I’m not convinced with the reason why the minister and two deputies are not here.”
“We have colleagues who have contested in the elections and are here. If they’ve lost, there are people who have lost and are here. If two of the deputies lost, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t work.”
He further queried, “Are they resigning? If they are not, they should be here. The worst of it is that the Chief Director is also not here. They are not taking us seriously.”
Another episode was when leadership of the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital were no were to be found.
This development did not go down well with the committee who wondered who demanded more answers.
A member of the Committee, Samuel Atta Mills said “This is really serious.”
“Ministry of Health, Ministers is not here, two deputies are not here. And now when we call the departments, they are not here. What is happening at the Ministry of Health, what’s going on?” the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem MP quizzed further.
Madam Emma Ofori Agyemang however responded that it was not deliberate for things to turn out this way.
“Nothing untoward is happening. We asked all the heads to be here. Why they are not here, I cannot tell. I believe they probably are late or something like that, but it ought not to have been so,” she explained.
Committee Chairman, James Klutse Avedzi urged the delegation to follow up on the whereabouts of the heads to ensure that the hearing ensues smoothly.
“Detail someone to get in touch with them and let them come,” he directed.
The matter was subsequently resolved as Madam Ofori Agyemang indicated that efforts have been made to alert the said official to be present as soon as they can.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Patrick Kuma Aboagye was present to respond to questions concerning his outfit activities.
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