A renowned and award-winning Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has once again raised concerns about what he describes as “daylight stealing” by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private waste management company.
In a detailed statement, Manasseh lamented the government’s persistent inaction regarding what he views as blatant corruption and exploitation in the long-standing contract between Zoomlion and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which oversees the management of cleaners and sweepers across Ghana’s metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs).
The Controversial Zoomlion-YEA Contract
According to Manasseh, the YEA has maintained a contract with Zoomlion since 2006, which stipulates that Zoomlion is responsible for managing the cleaners and sweepers employed by the YEA and MMDAs.
However, Mr Awuni disclosed that a letter issued by Elizabeth Sackey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), reveal a glaring lack of transparency regarding the number of cleaners managed by Zoomlion.
“The contract says the YEA and the MMDAs should employ the cleaners and give them to Zoomlion to manage. But, as this letter shows, the MMDAs and the YEA do not know the number of cleaners managed by Zoomlion across the country. The government pays Zoomlion in Accra based on the claim of numbers Zoomlion presents for payment.
“For a long time, the claim has been that 45,000 people are doing the work. Zoomlion is paid 850 cedis per cleaner, but the contract says Zoomlion should pay each cleaner 250 cedis and keep 600 cedis as fees. The cleaners have no benefits such as transportation, health insurance or retirement package. If they fall ill battling the filth in our gutters and markets, they’re on their own”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, renowned Investigative Journalist
A Systemic Lack of Accountability
What further fueled Manasseh’s outrage is the systemic lack of accountability regarding the actual number of cleaners managed by Zoomlion.
He pointed out that despite the government continuing to pay Zoomlion based on the company’s reported numbers, which claim that 45,000 cleaners are employed, both the YEA and the MMDAs, including AMA, are often left in the dark about the actual number of workers.
“But whether there are cleaners working or not, Zoomlion is paid the full amount by the number of workers it presents. To put it clearly, government officials such as the board members of the YEA, Ministers of State related to the programme and state officials paid to represent our interest know that there are not 45,000 people sweeping the streets and markets across the country, but they multiply that number by 850 cedis and pay to Zoomlion as its monthly bill”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, renowned Investigative Journalist
Again, the Nieman Fellow revealed that in 2018, former Youth Employment Agency Chief Executive Officer Justin Frimpong Koduah conducted a head count and found that the number of cleaners was significantly lower than Zoomlion’s reported figures.
However, Manasseh pointed out that despite this revelation and the public announcement that the contract would be discontinued, the government continued to make payments to Zoomlion, even as the company failed to provide payroll documentation to support its claims.
He indicated that the issue persisted into 2022 when the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly requested the list of cleaners for whom her office was deducting funds from the Common Fund.
Here Manasseh stated that the YEA, under the leadership of CEO Kofi Baah Agyepong, admitted in board minutes dated October 13, 2022, that it did not have the necessary data to verify Zoomlion’s claims.
This admission, he argued further exposed the discrepancies in the system and raised concerns about the quality of services being paid for by the government.
“In 2017, I produced a documentary titled ‘Robbing the Assemblies’. I revealed that the assemblies had resorted to employing their own sweepers to clean the markets and paying them, even though their Common Fund was being used to pay Zoomlion for the non-existent cleaners in their areas.
“This means that because of the low wage of 250 cedis a month, which can be in arears for more than a year, many of the supposed sweepers managed by Zoomlion have left the job. But Zoomlion continues to receive payment for managing them. And the assemblies, which are already paying Zoomlion for this service, will have to incur additional costs to clean their streets and markets. If this is not robbing the state to pay a shady company, what is it?”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, renowned Investigative Journalist
Call for Action
Adding to the controversy, Manasseh pointed out that even high-ranking officials in the current administration, including President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, are aware of these issues.
In his statement, Manasseh accused the government of perpetuating this “theft” and highlighted the failures of successive administrations, including that of former President John Dramani Mahama, to address the situation.
Concluding his statement, Manasseh Azure Awuni issued a direct appeal to President Akufo-Addo, who had previously campaigned on a platform of transparency and anti-corruption.
He urged the President to take decisive action to end what he described as a massive corruption scheme that benefits a private company at the expense of taxpayers and vulnerable workers.
“Mr. President, the ball is in your court,” Manasseh declared, emphasizing the urgent need for leadership in addressing these longstanding issues.
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