MAMA project: Health Minister lied to Akufo-Addo – Atinka TV’s BB

Host of Atinka TV’s Ghana Nie, Bismark Brown, has accused the Health Minister, Kweku Agyeman Manu, of failing to tell the truth with regard to the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) project.

During the 2018 final Presidential encounter with the media at the Jubilee House, Mr. Bismark Brown, host of Atinka TV’s "Ghana Nie", asked President Akufo-Addo whether he was aware that the Health Ministry had approached the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) in the USA to assist Ghana, which had been named the Ebola Command Center, by building 10 regional emergency with ambulance each, provide the country with two helicopters for medical supplies all together with unmanned humanitarian vehicles (drones) for the supply of vaccines and samples in case of an outbreak.

Mr. Brown, whose question was triggered by the controversy surrounding the $12m drone deal between the government and Zipline, revealed that one Dr. Afisah Zachariah, who was Director of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation at the Ministry of Health at the time, led a team to Michigan to solicit assistance from MAMA. Dr. Afisah subsequently did a report on the visit and the "agreement" with MAMA.

However, President Akufo-Addo denied knowledge of the existence of such a report when the question was posed to him.

The President then called the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu to respond to BB’s question. The minister in his response mentioned that as part of his appointment with MAMA, the officials from MAMA should include Bill Gates and the MD for Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA)

According to the Minister, “When they came, they were about seven Ghanaians and one American who was neither the MD for Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) nor Bill Gates”.

Meanwhile checks by atinkaonline.com indicates that the “one” American who visited the Health Minister was the MD for MAMA, Gavin Brown. This, according to Bismark Brown, suggests that the Health Minister did not do any background checks to figure out who the “one” American who he took to the office of the President together with the seven Ghanaians was.

Again, a letter dated 31st January 2018 which has been cited by atinkaonline.com contradicts the Minister's response at the Presidential encounter with the media.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu stated that MAMA opted out after he asked them to demonstrate its source of funding for the project.