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Tag: CVS

  • I’ve received thousand CVs for 60 Ministerial slots – Mahama

    I’ve received thousand CVs for 60 Ministerial slots – Mahama

    President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that he has received thousands of CVs for ministerial positions despite his commitment to appoint a lean government with only 60 ministers.

    Speaking at the Presidential Dinner in Accra on Wednesday, January 8, Mahama addressed the mounting pressure and expectations regarding his administration’s promise of a smaller government.

    “You wouldn’t want to be in my shoes when you’ve promised to appoint only 60 ministers, yet thousands of people are sending in their CVs. Then, maybe some people will be disappointed,” the President remarked.

    He emphasized that while reducing the size of government is essential, national development requires collaboration across all sectors, not just ministerial leadership.

    “The success of this administration will secure us another term, perhaps under a different leader. But we must get this right so that Ghanaians can continue to have confidence in us,” he added.

    Reflecting on lessons from past leadership experiences, Mahama urged his team to avoid the mistakes that led to public disillusionment with the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

    “There’s no use fighting for political power if we are coming to repeat the same mistakes,” Mahama cautioned, affirming his commitment to a responsive and trustworthy administration.

    Meanwhile, President Mahama has nominated key figures for ministerial positions as he assembles his new government. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has been nominated as Finance Minister-designate, with John Abdulai Jinapor and Dominic Akuritinga Ayine designated for the Energy Ministry and the Attorney General and Justice Ministry, respectively.

    Dr. Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, is a Chartered Accountant and Economist with extensive expertise in public finance, taxation, and macroeconomics. He holds a PhD in Finance from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), along with Master’s degrees in Taxation and Economics from the University of Oxford and KNUST.

    Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor brings significant experience in energy economics and finance. His educational qualifications include a Master of Arts in Economic Policy Management, an MBA in Marketing, and a Master of Science in Development Finance from the University of Ghana, among others.

    Hon. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, previously a Deputy Attorney General, has been nominated for the top position at the Justice Ministry. His legal expertise is expected to strengthen the country’s justice system.

    These appointments come as Ghana faces pressing energy sector challenges, with GRIDCo warning that $89.90 million is urgently needed to avert a potential power crisis and sustain electricity generation capacity.

  • CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay $10 billion to settle opioid-related lawsuits

    Two of the country’s largest pharmacies have agreed to pay more than $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits stemming from their roles in the US opioid crisis.

    The proposed deals with CVS and Walgreens are the latest chapter in a long legal saga in which companies have been accused of contributing to the abuse of addictive painkillers.

    Settlements with pharmaceutical companies and distributors have already brought in more than $30 billion.

    The pharmacies deny any wrongdoing.

    But they have lost some high-profile, smaller legal battles recently, with a judge ordering the two firms and Walmart to pay more than $650m (£567m) to two Ohio counties.

    CVS chief executive Karen Lynch said on a call with analysts that the settlement was in the “best interests of all parties and helps put a decades-old issue behind us”.

    Local governments, Native American tribes, and others behind the total of more than 3,000 lawsuits will now decide whether or not to accept the settlement. It would allow them to funnel money to help them address the local costs of a crisis that the US says has claimed more than 560,000 lives since 1999.

    Lawyers for the plaintiffs that helped negotiate the deal called the proposal an “important step” to holding the pharmacies “accountable”.

    “Once effectuated, these agreements will be the first resolutions reached with pharmacy chains and will equip communities across the country with the much-needed tools to fight back against this epidemic and bring about tangible, positive change,” the legal team said in a statement.

    Since former US President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency in 2017, the situation has worsened.

    Overdoses involving opioids jumped 30% in 2020 and another 15% last year, with illegally manufactured fentanyl driving the recent crisis, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The situation has strained public resources, with the economic toll of the opioid crisis in 2020 alone mounting to $1.5tn, according to a congressional report last month.

    Advocate, author, and recovering addict Ryan Hampton said many are ready for the years of legal fighting to an end, but that the settlements have fallen short of early hopes. He warned that policymakers will need to commit more resources if they hope to do more than make a dent in the crisis.

    “It is my hope that these dollars are put to use immediately on the ground, 100% of them,” he said. “That’s my hope. My fear is that when the dollar is distributed… that yes, it’s nothing but it’s nowhere near enough.”

    While the settlements often outline how the funds should be spent – sending funds to facilities that offer treatment programmes, for example – Mr Hampton said the jury is still out on the overall impact.

    “They’re much needed but are we really just plugging a hole in the dam at this point?” he said. “We’re going to need massive federal investment that goes beyond litigation dollars if we’re going to get anywhere near preventing these tragic overdose deaths.”

    In the lawsuits brought by local communities, Native American tribes, and other parties since 2017, the pharmacy chains were accused of ignoring red flags while handling prescriptions for the drugs.

    CVS said it would pay about $5bn over 10 years to settle the claims, while Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $5.7bn over 15 years.

    Walmart has also reached a $3.1bn deal, Reuters reported. Walmart declined to comment.