Ghana faced severe economic challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe.
The government frequently reminded citizens of the pandemic’s devastating impact on the economy.
However, many Ghanaians were skeptical, viewing the government’s messaging as mere “PR gimmicks.”
One such skeptic is investigative journalist Manasseh Azure, who, in his latest book “The President Ghana Never Got,” sheds light on what transpired “behind the scenes” during the pandemic.
In chapter 30, titled “The Scandal Akufo-Addo Initiated,” he wrote, “It was natural to think that the COVID-19 pandemic would cause them to reflect and attempt to act reasonably, but those in charge did not miss an opportunity to create avenues to loot.”
He detailed how the country’s health facilities were overwhelmed and lacked essential equipment needed to combat the virus effectively.
He cited the Ashanti Region, home to over five million people, where only 40 hospital beds were available. The situation was so dire that COVID-19 positive patients were sometimes housed in the same wards as those without the virus.
Manasseh wrote: “What caused COVID-19 taxes to be passed after Akufo-Addo won his second term in the December 2020 election?”
How government looted through disinfection exercises
After the news of the virus reaching Ghana broke, the president ordered the disinfection of public places including markets and schools.
Manasseh said the government suspended the services of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
It rather employed the services of another contractor to undertake the exercise at an additional cost to the state.
From the figures, the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Education probably spent not less than 600 million cedis on these exercises “which were undertaken by a private contractor where the assemblies were ordered to stop”.
Manasseh called the fumigation exercise senseless emphasising the World Health Organisation’s position that the exercise was needless.
How government looted through COVID-19 testing
In 2020, the government mandated all travellers coming to Ghana to undertake antigen tests upon arrival at the airport and ports of entry. The government “hurriedly” formed a company called Frontiers Healthcare Services Limited to handle the tests.
“That shady arrangement was the biggest fraud on Ghanaians and travellers to Ghana,” Manasseh wrote.
The COVID-19 test administered by Frontiers at Ghana’s airports was priced at $150.
However, Dr. Kofi Bonney, a virologist from the Noguchi Memorial Centre for Medical Research, pointed out that antigen tests are generally much cheaper than PCR tests.
He stated that the cost typically ranges between $10 and $20.
Following his remarks, Dr. Bonney faced significant criticism from the government, leading the Centre to issue a statement distancing itself from his comments, clarifying that they were his personal opinions.
In his book, Manasseh highlighted that the antigen test at Ghana’s airports was likely the most expensive COVID-19 antigen test globally.
“From the figures released, the company made US$84 million from the exercise and vanished into thin air afterwards,” he wrote.
He was of the view that these monies went into the pockets of government.