After almost twenty years of public scrutiny and allegations of monetary impropriety, President John Dramani Mahama has formally ended certainly one of Ghana’s most contentious authorities contracts.
On June 11, 2025, President Mahama confirmed that the 19-year settlement between the Youth Employment Company (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Restricted wouldn’t be renewed.
The choice was communicated by means of a letter signed by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, and addressed to investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The presidential response was direct and unambiguous:
)
)
MUST READ: NPP senior members planning to meet Mahama and make Wontumi kneel and apologise
His Excellency the President acknowledges the intense considerations raised in your letter and responds as follows: 1. Expiration of Contract: The contract between Youth Employment Company (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Restricted (Zoomlion) has expired and won’t be renewed.
The lengthy highway to this determination
)
Manasseh Azure Awuni
This final result represents the fruits of a 12-year investigative marketing campaign led by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who first uncovered issues with the contract in 2013.
His persistent reporting highlighted a number of troubling elements of the association that raised questions on transparency and worth for cash.
The core issues recognized
Essentially the most placing challenge involved how avenue sweepers have been compensated. Beneath the contract phrases, the federal government allotted GHS 850 per sweeper every month.
READ ALSO: I don’t mind if Supreme Court says Mahama can run for third term – NPP’s Freddie Blay
Nonetheless, Zoomlion reportedly stored GHS 600 of this quantity, leaving employees with simply GHS 250 month-to-month.
This dramatic distinction between what the federal government paid and what employees obtained turned a focus of criticism.
Past the fee construction, investigators uncovered further considerations. Zoomlion had established what critics described as a near-monopoly in sanitation contracts throughout Ghana.
The corporate additionally charged curiosity on delayed funds from the YEA, accumulating GHS 90 million in such fees throughout 2024 alone.
Verification challenges
The YEA itself had beforehand recognized important discrepancies within the contract’s implementation.
READ FURTHER: Is NIB investigating NAPO over ‘mathematical sets’ procurement? What you need to know
In 2018, the company’s inner audit discovered 38,884 sweepers really engaged on the bottom, whereas Zoomlion claimed to be paying 45,000 employees month-to-month. This hole of over 6,000 employees raised severe questions on accountability and monetary oversight.
Former YEA Chief Govt Officer Kofi Baah Agyepong had advocated for ending the contract, arguing that the YEA possessed the mandatory capabilities to handle the road sweeping program immediately with out an middleman firm.
What this implies going ahead
President Mahama’s determination is anticipated to supply substantial price financial savings for the federal government.
FIND OUT MORE: Police fire rubber bullets as 3,000 Flamengo fans plunge airport send-off into chaos
Extra importantly, the administration has dedicated to making sure that these financial savings translate into larger direct funds for the road sweepers themselves.
This improvement marks a major shift in Ghana’s method to public service contracting and represents a victory for investigative journalism’s position in selling authorities accountability.
The case demonstrates how sustained public scrutiny can in the end result in coverage adjustments that higher serve each taxpayers and employees.
The tip of this controversial contract alerts a brand new chapter in Ghana’s sanitation sector administration, with the potential for extra clear and equitable preparations transferring ahead.
