The Minister for Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu placed emphasis on control and access to national health data.
“The country paid for a system that should belong to us,” he said on Metro TV monitored by Lovinghananews.com.
“However, we found ourselves unable to operate it without the contractor. They could literally switch the system on and off remotely.”
He described the situation as unacceptable. “You cannot have a health system affecting millions of Ghanaians controlled outside the country.
“That is not just a procurement issue; that is a sovereignty and security concern,” he declared.
He insisted that this alone justified government action, stating, “We cannot pay tens of millions of dollars and still be at the mercy of a private foreign entity to run our own health infrastructure. No responsible government can allow that.”
Recounting efforts to settle the dispute before the breakdown, Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated,
“There were meetings in Ghana and abroad involving the Health Minister and the contractor. We gave them room to complete the work and offered a two-year support window.”
He added, “But the contractor insisted on a new contract before continuing. That was the stumbling block. You cannot come back and demand fresh terms just to fulfil obligations under an existing agreement.”
According to him, tensions rose in one engagement. “At one point, there was even talk of someone threatening to get physical,” he said, suggesting the atmosphere made cooperation impossible.
“Government acted in good faith. We were willing to cooperate, but they held the country hostage over a new contract.”
He summed it up firmly: “We had no choice. We must protect the health sector and ensure continuity. This was never about politics. It was about refusing to hand over control simply because someone walked away from their responsibility.”
Source:Lovinghananews.com
