Former Minister for procurement Sarah Adwoa Safo says she was not involved in the process that led to the award of government contract to Frontier Healthcare Services – the company conducting COVID-19 tests at the Kotoka International Airport.
Appearing before the Appointment Committee Wednesday, the Gender Minister-designate said the former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta, who has been renominated for the job, will have information on the contract.
“I want to state on record that the Public Procurement Act of 2003 was not changed during my tenure as Minister of State for Public Procurement so the supervisory minister which is clearly stated in the law is the Minister for Finance,” she said.
The Dome-Kwabenya MP is the fourth key government official to deny knowledge of details of the contract. Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu was first to decline knowledge followed by the former Foreign affairs minister then former deputy Attorney General and then former deputy health minister Bernard Okoe-Boye.
“It will be very difficult for me to answer this particular question, why because there is a presidential task force that is supporting the ministry to do the Covid battle. This particular arrangement was put in place by the task force that reports to the President. They actually did the procurement,” the former Health Minister said.
“Were were not in normal times and so there were certain things we had to do and then try to rectify them as we go forward because of the urgency of what we should do immediately. I am not very privy to the initial stages of the procurement because it was a joint operation between the National Covid-19 taskforce and the Ghana Health Service (GHS). By the time it came to my notice, they had finished the arrangements”.
Government engaged the company to conduct rapid COVID-19 tests of passengers since the opening of the airport to International Passenger flights.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
