Manasseh Petitions President Mahama to Cancel Controversial YEA-Zoomlion Contract
Renowned Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to cancel the long-running contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and waste management company Zoomlion Ghana Limited, citing widespread financial abuse, lack of accountability, and poor worker compensation.
The contract, in place for 19 years, allows Zoomlion to act as an intermediary between the state and sanitation workers. Under the most recent agreement, which expired in September 2024, each sweeper was allocated GHS850. However, Zoomlion retained GHS600 and paid workers only GHS250 a month.
Manasseh further revealed that in 2024, Zoomlion charged the state GHS90 million in interest due to delayed payments from YEA. Despite the high cost to taxpayers, Zoomlion has failed to provide payroll data to confirm its claim of paying 45,000 sweepers monthly.
A 2018 YEA headcount found only 38,884 sweepers on the ground. Yet, Zoomlion continued billing for 45,000 a number that remained unchanged even after the Accra Metropolitan Assembly complained in 2022 that most sweepers had stopped working. Still, the YEA could not provide data to justify the payments.
Currently, Zoomlion is proposing a new contract that increases the monthly allocation per sweeper to GHS1,308. If approved, the company would retain GHS888 and pay workers GHS420.
The immediate past YEA CEO, Kofi Baah Agyepong, recommended cancelling the Zoomlion contract, asserting that YEA could directly manage the module as it does with others while paying workers better wages.
In his petition, Manasseh proposes that YEA and the local assemblies take direct control of the sweeping module, using funds from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to pay workers directly. He argues this would eliminate the middleman, improve worker pay, and boost accountability.
He suggests that Zoomlion’s separate contract for refuse transportation under the Sanitation Improvement Package (SIP) may be maintained temporarily to avoid service disruptions, since many assemblies lack their own waste trucks.
Manasseh reminded President Mahama of his bold actions following the 2013 GYEEDA investigations when he cancelled corrupt contracts, prosecuted officials, and passed the YEA Act. Despite serious findings against Zoomlion in that report, their contract was never cancelled.
“With the documentary evidence I’ve submitted, I’m confident the President will act decisively,” Manasseh said. “This is an opportunity to end years of exploitation and finally do justice to the poor sweepers.”
