Agyeman-Manu denies “tired of fighting COVID-19” media reports

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has denied media reports attributed to him which claim that both he and President Akufo-Addo say they are tired of fighting the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

Agyeman-Manu explained that sections of the media misquoted what he said in a recently recorded audio clip, in which he speaks in his native Bono language to constituents in Dormaa West, where he is the Member of Parliament.

In an interview on Asaase Radio, the minister said he was taken out of context and that he was merely embarking on his usual education and sensitisation of the masses about the need to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

Education misinterpreted

After the comments entered the public domain, reports sought to suggest that Agyeman-Manu had said the Akufo-Addo government was overwhelmed by the fight against the disease.

“I was just trying to utilise the great efforts and hard work our president has put into this fight, to request them to come along with him and obey and adhere to these protocols to enable us stop the spread,” Agyeman-Manu said. “I don’t think what they have put there is what this can translate into.”

He added: “I have actually been saddened. I am very much amazed: I was just doing normal COVID-19 education and I was just underscoring the effort and the commitment the president has put into the fight.”

He said he had asked the Information Minister to issue a statement on his behalf denying the allegations. This has since been released.

Agyeman-Manu reiterated calls for the public to take the fight against the pandemic seriously by adhering to all the protocols to protect themselves and their families. This will complement the government’s efforts to contain the virus, he said.

Asaase Radio / Wilberforce Asare

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