$34m Ambulance deal: Health Ministry’s statement ‘hollow, disingenuous’ – Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has criticised the Ministry of Health’s response to his petition regarding the controversial $34 million ambulance spare parts deal.

Mr Ablakwa accused former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu of conspiring with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited to swindle the state.

He claimed that Ofori-Atta approved the deal just five days before leaving office, raising suspicions of impropriety and questioning the company’s ability to deliver, given its recent incorporation

The MP subsequently petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the deal, which has been acknowledged by the OSP.

The Ministry of Health, in a statement dated Thursday, July 25, denied allegations of paying $34.9 million to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, stating its willingness to support further clarity on the issue.

However, Mr. Ablakwa, during an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM described the Ministry’s statement as ‘hollow, bogus, dishonest, and disingenuous’.

He slammed the Ministry for distorting his petition to avoid the real issue. Ablakwa emphasised that his petition did not mention any payment of $4.9 million, questioning why the Ministry would address a non-existent claim.

He expressed frustration with the Ministry’s disrespect towards Ghanaians and their intelligence, underscoring the reason no one was willing to sign the statement.

“To be very sincere with you, this is the most hollow, the most porous, bogus, the most dishonest and the most disingenuous statement I’ve ever come across. Who in Ghana has said 4.9 million dollars has been paid, who has said that? They are so fond of setting their own questions and proceeding to answer them, deliberately distorting the issue so that it will distract us from the real matter.”

“Look, we have had enough of the disrespect of Ghanaian people, the insulting of our intelligence, we’ve had enough. No wonder nobody at the Ministry could put their name under the statement, nobody could sign that statement. Look we are in no mood for this disrespect and this deliberate obfuscation.”

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