Ghanaian investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has issued a firm caution to Malik Basintale, urging him to resist any attempt to renew the contentious Zoomlion sanitation contract.
In a Facebook post shared on April 24, 2025, Manasseh presented evidence that the agreement had already expired before Basintale assumed his current role, noting that the previous administration had formally communicated the contract’s termination.
According to Manasseh, reviving the contract would amount to betraying the trust of many young Ghanaians who supported Basintale’s political rise.
He reminded the new official of the sacrifices made by these youths, who marched in support of the administration during harsh weather, and warned that re-engaging Zoomlion would disregard their faith and hard work.
Manasseh took further aim at Elder Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the founder of Zoomlion and a figure in the Church of Pentecost.
Agyepong had reportedly defended the company’s low wages in Parliament, justifying them by stating that workers only labor for four hours a day, six days a week. Manasseh sharply criticized this justification, asserting that it defeats the very essence of the national minimum wage.
He argued that even government-employed cleaners who don’t work full days earn far more than the sanitation workers under the Zoomlion arrangement.
He expressed outrage that individuals could be expected to work for an entire month only to take home around $17, while the company reaps massive profits from the state.
Calling the situation inhumane and exploitative, Manasseh appealed directly to high-ranking members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mahama’s inner circle—including Shamima Muslim, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Eric Edem Agbana, Osman Abdulai Ayariga, and Stan Xoese Dogbe—to take a principled stand and oppose any move to revive the deal.
The ball now appears to be in Basintale’s court, with growing public interest in whether he will uphold his party’s promises or give in to what critics describe as a corrupt and exploitative arrangement.
Source: NewsandVibes.com
