Arthur Kennedy Defends "Kuluulu" Contract

Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, Communication Director of Nana Akufo-Addo's 2008 presidential campaign, says there is nothing fishy about a GH¢30,000 contract awarded him by the Ministry of Health (MOH), despite it not go through the National Competitive Tendering.

“The people who looked at it said given the circumstances and the fact that I didn’t have time, it was reasonable to propose that if they did it through the public tendering it will be very unlikely that they will find somebody with my experience within the length of time that they needed to have the thing done,” he explained.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, Dr. Arthur Kennedy observed that the contract was as a result of recommendations he made to the ministry after identifying some shortfalls in the healthcare delivery system.

The contract dictates that he would ensure that the standard of care and state of readiness in hospitals are raised for an improved quality service delivery across the country.

He said facilities at the hospitals, state of preparedness, cleanliness, referral procedure, staffing, and accommodation among other things would be taken care of under the deal.

The Weekly Insight newspaper last week reported news of the contract and said it was awarded with “fragrant disregard of the provisions of the procurement law”.

“According to the contract, Dr Arthur Kennedy is to earn ¢50 million (GH¢5,000) whilst his driver takes ¢4 million (GH¢400) as per diem. In regard of accommodation, the consultant will take ¢100 million (GH¢10,000) and his driver will go for ¢30 million (GH¢3,000),” the paper alleged.

Dr. Arthur Kennedy did not deny the allegation but stressed that the contract was given to him with recourse to the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663); under the selective tender procedure.

He promised to deliver an excellent job and does not expect any adverse findings upon his conclusion of the contract should there be any audit of his work.

He reminded Ghanaians that he is not just a politician but a physician as well with flair in quality assurance. Explaining why he is qualified to execute the contract, he said he once served on a state-wide peer review committee in the US, and has an organisation in the US with joint commission accreditation; he also served under the hospital accreditation committee.

“I have told you my qualification, name three other Ghanaians who have those qualifications and can do that for the cost which I am doing that.”

He said the contract has no political links and accused his political opponents of reading political meanings into a pure service he is rendering to the state.

“This is politics of personal destruction; they are not interested in healthcare, they are not interested in quality; all that they are interested in is trying to damage me,” he said.