President defends Sputnik V acquisition

The Alliance for Change is calling out the government for what it says are unanswered questions surrounding the acquisition of the Sputnik V vaccines. The Russian made vaccines were acquired by the government of Guyana through an arrangement with Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum.

The Guyana government has come under scrutiny for this acquisition as a Norwegian media investigation has shown that Guyana paid double the cost for the vaccine through the Sheik and a Norweign man, both dubbed “middle men”.

“Many questions on the procurement of the vaccine have still gone unanswered by the PPP regime. Suffice to say, as a Party we have heard and noted the voice of renown activist Eusi Kwayana recently in the press, in which he stated very strongly that the PPP initially said al-Maktoum was interested in investments locally only, but that he and the PPP regime “desired to deceive” the people of Guyana. We cannot help but agree,” the AFC said on Friday during a press conference.

“We are concerned not only about every Guyanese having access to vaccines, but the quality of the vaccines and the arrangement which facilitates the same are equally important to us,” the party pointed out.

On Thursday President Irfaan Ali defended the purchase of the vaccines, “Our focus was on getting the vaccine, I have made this point a million times, my only focus and the only focus of the government is the protection of the lives of the people of Guyana,” the President said.

President Ali said there is no price to the lives of the people of this country, “We tried every single source, we tried every single manufacturer, we tried every single embassy, ambassador, country, state, to get the vaccine and we got it from this source and the only thing that matters to me, is what we were able to get it and I know, I know, that it has helped us tremendously in the fight against COVID.”