The Minority in Parliament says it will pass a vote of censure to seek the removal of Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu and Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for failing to evacuate Ghanaian students in China.
In an interview on Friday, Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the opposition National Democratic Congress will move a motion to trigger a debate on the issue in the House on Tuesday, February 18.
“We will ensure that the ministers are sanctioned and removed for gross ineptitude [should it get to the vote of censure] which is putting about 170 Ghanaian students at risk who do not deserve what we are doing to them,” he said.
“If these were our children or if one of these students was a child of the Health Minister or Foreign Affairs Minister would this be the approach?” He quizzed.
The Minority on Tuesday, February 11, gave government a three-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaian students in the coronavirus-hit cities of China.
Mr Ablakwa further added that the issue is dire and must not be taken lightly since nationals in the Asian country are currently suffering due to shortage of food supplies and restricted vehicular and human movement.
He further promised that the Minority will ensure that the motion pulls through to get the nationals in China evacuated.
“We intend to bring all evidence, to spell out to the good people of this country and for the records of this House to acknowledge that all what the Minister of Health and Health Service officials are putting out are contradictory. They are making a lot of claims that are untrue,” he said.
The Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Abban, however, accused the Minority of playing politics with a sensitive issue.
He says despite the decision not to evacuate, government is supporting the students.
“Evacuation is not the only solution, what we are hoping for is that no Ghanaian life is lost to the 2019 novel coronavirus regardless of the location of the person,” he noted.