A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communication team, Hamza Suhuyini, has debunked claims that the government is planning to terminate Ghana’s contract with Zipline, insisting that ongoing reviews are aimed at ensuring value for money and strengthening such service, not scrapping it.
He stated that the previous administration failed to establish proper monitoring mechanisms to track Zipline’s operations, resulting in inefficiencies that the current government is committed to correcting.
“What kind of mechanisms did they put in place to guide them? The more Zipline flies, the more we pay them. So how were we monitoring these supplies?” he questioned.
He argued that the absence of adequate oversight systems created room for wasteful spending, stressing that the new administration would not repeat those mistakes.
“What kind of infrastructure did they have to ensure value for money? Absolutely none. A new responsible government has come into office, and you want us to continue in that trajectory of taking things for granted? Nobody has said anywhere that we are going to terminate the Zipline contract. Indeed, there are people in the NDC who may wish that, but as far as I am concerned, no such decision has been taken,” he clarified.
According to him, the focus is on evaluating the data, engaging Zipline, and ensuring the company fulfils its core mandate effectively. He maintained that the government recognises the importance of the drone delivery system, particularly for district-level emergency services.
“All we are saying is that we need to look into the numbers and possibly engage Zipline to live up to its mandate. The importance of such a system is not lost on the government. Its magnitude, especially at the district level, should not be underestimated. We will do everything within our power to ensure that we have such a service in the system, even if it is not Zipline as a company,” he added.
His comments come amid heightened political debate over the sustainability of Zipline’s medical drone operations.
Recently, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga called for the termination of the contract, describing the programme as a “total waste of state resources.”
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has also stated that Zipline was delivering non essential drugs including condoms, mosquito nets and education materials.
