The ongoing feud between celebrated investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and the Jospong Group of Companies has entered a fresh phase, with Zoomlion sitting squarely at the center of the controversy.
At the heart of the matter is a longstanding battle over allegations of shady contracts, poor worker compensation, and questionable corporate practices linked to Zoomlion’s operations in Ghana.
In a recent update, Manasseh Awuni addressed the public reaction to his earlier reporting on Zoomlion and specifically responded to attacks from Sophia Kudjordji, Chief Corporate Communications Officer for the Jospong Group.
According to Manasseh, those hoping for a substantive rebuttal from Kudjordji would be sorely let down. “If you thought she would disprove anything I had said or published, then you must be disappointed.”
Instead of countering with facts, Manasseh noted that Kudjordji’s response focused mainly on attacking his personality and questioning his journalistic competence.
“She attacked my person, how bad and lazy journalism is, and how my work is empty and yields no impact, such as my waste bins investigation of the Jospong Group.
“When… Sophia [was asked] to point out anything I had said that wasn’t true, she could not mention anything. Not even one.”
Manasseh Azure Awuni
Even more concerning was Kudjordji’s response when the issue of low wages for sweepers was raised. When pressed on whether paying workers just 250 cedis a month was justifiable, she veered off into a personal attack.
Instead of addressing the question directly, she criticized Manasseh for choosing to study abroad, suggesting that if he had been satisfied with his salary, he would have remained in Ghana.
Manasseh later clarified that he is currently pursuing his education in the United States, highlighting how Kudjordji’s remarks sidestepped the critical issue of worker exploitation.
Manasseh Awuni’s frustration is palpable. He accused Kudjordji of not only engaging in personal attacks but also recycling misinformation the Jospong Group has previously used to defend what many consider dubious contracts with the government.
More Evidence On Zoomlion To Come Forth
Furthermore, Manasseh Azure Awuni made a strong and pointed declaration, emphasizing that he was prepared to back every claim he made on the show with concrete evidence and official documents.
He announced his intention to release these materials publicly, underscoring the seriousness of his allegations.
Among the revelations he plans to publish is proof that Zoomlion charges the government interest—reportedly up to 30%—whenever there are delays in payment.
This, he indicated, would expose deeper issues of financial practices within the company that have long been shielded from public scrutiny.
“I will give you evidence of how a committee set up by President Mahama in 2013 found Zoomlion guilty of serious anomalies in the breakdown of the outrageous management fees in two of its contracts with the YEA, previously GYEEDA.”
Manasseh Azure Awuni
In addition, Manasseh spoke about his acclaimed documentary “Robbing the Assemblies,” which uncovered the $74 million fraudulent waste bin contract awarded to the Jospong Group.
According to him, this work was the result of visiting 53 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies across all of Ghana’s then-10 regions—a far cry from what Kudjordji later labeled as “armchair journalism.“
Manasseh’s analogy for the difficulty of making Zoomlion’s conduct look worse was as vivid as it was damning.
“Ladies and gentlemen, lying or exaggerating to make Zoomlion and the Jospong Group look bad is like overstating the stench of the Korle Lagoon. You can’t make it any worse.”
Manasseh Azure Awuni
Yet, amid all the drama, Manasseh reaffirmed his commitment to the truth, promising to back every claim with documentary proof. “I will stay on the facts and, as I always do, back everything I say with documents,” he assured.
Manasseh urged all concerned citizens to unite behind a straightforward yet crucial demand: that the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the government move swiftly to terminate the expired contracts with Zoomlion.
He stressed that ending these outdated agreements would allow sweepers to work directly under the assemblies and receive the full wages allocated to them, rather than having up to 80% siphoned off by intermediaries, as has often been the case.
At this point, the Zoomlion controversy shows no signs of fading. With Manasseh’s promise to release further evidence, it seems likely that even more explosive revelations could emerge in the days ahead.
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