Earlier this week, I formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to discontinue the 19-year-old contract between the Youth Employment Company (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Restricted.
Beneath the final contract that expired in September 2024, GH¢850 was allotted to every sweeper. Zoomlion retains GH¢600 and pays the sweepers GH¢250 a month, based on the contract.
Zoomlion additionally fees curiosity if the YEA delays in paying the corporate for 3 months. In 2024, the corporate charged an curiosity of GH¢90 million.
Yesterday, Zoomlion revealed that its newest proposal is “underneath dialogue” on the YEA. On this proposal, Zoomlion desires the allocation per sweeper to be raised to GH¢1,308, in order that Zoomlion would take GH¢888 and provides the sweepers GH¢420 a month.
The YEA has no information to confirm the 45,000 sweepers Zoomlion presents for cost each month, even after elevating an alarm in 2018. The YEA stated its headcount confirmed that 38,884 sweepers had been on the bottom, opposite to Zoomlion’s declare of 45,000. The YEA CEO, Justin Kodua Frimpong (the present NPP Basic Secretary), stated Zoomlion didn’t submit its payroll for verification when the YEA requested.
In 2022, the YEA couldn’t present any information when the Accra Metropolitan Meeting complained in a letter that almost all sweepers had stopped working. In the meantime, Zoomlion continued to invoice the state for 45,000 folks each month.
The fast previous CEO of the YEA, Kofi Baah Agyepong, informed the YEA board that the contract with Zoomlion needs to be cancelled, because the YEA was able to working the sweepers’ module with no third-party firm, simply because it runs different modules. In all of the modules, the YEA pays all its beneficiaries greater than the sweepers, whose cost is routed by Zoomlion.
I’ve proposed to the President that the contract be discontinued in order that the assemblies and the YEA can supervise the sweepers. On this means, the assemblies can have direct management of the sweepers, who’re paid with the assemblies’ share of the District Assemblies Widespread Fund (DACF).
If Zoomlion is eradicated because the intermediary, the sweepers will get pleasure from higher wages and be motivated to indicate up and work to maintain the nation clear.
Zoomlion has a separate contract that fees all of the assemblies to raise the refuse collected by the YEA sweepers to the dumping websites. This contract, the Sanitation Enchancment Package deal (SIP), requires waste vans, which some assemblies do not need as a result of a piece of their funds is deducted to pay Zoomlion.
I’ve proposed to the President that the assemblies may keep the SIP contract with Zoomlion, since its fast termination may trigger sanitation challenges.
After I investigated GYEEDA (now YEA) in 2013, President Mahama took drastic actions, together with terminating contracts, passing the YEA Act, prosecuting and jailing two individuals, and retrieving funds.
With the documentary proof I submitted with the petition, I’m assured that the President will terminate the Zoomlion contract, which is the one YEA contract that was not cancelled after my 2013 investigations, although the GYEEDA report President Mahama commissioned made critical opposed findings towards Zoomlion.
I want to thank all who’ve supported and proceed to help me on this marketing campaign to cease the large corruption related to the YEA-Zoomlion contract and convey justice to the poor sweepers.
We hope President Mahama is not going to fail us, the sweepers, and our pricey nation.
Singed.
Manasseh Azure Awuni
(Investigative Journalist)
Might 2, 2025.
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