Zoomlion had no contract with YEA when I handed over as CEO on January 25 — Kofi Agyepong

Kofi Agyepong, the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has waded into conversations regarding calls for the discontinuance of the agency’s sanitation module contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

According to the former YEA CEO, the waste management firm had no contract with the agency as of the time he officially handed over on January 25, 2025.

In a Facebook post on Friday, April 25, Mr. Agyepong called for a complete overhaul of the module, citing how it overlaps with the work of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the need to ensure the welfare of workers.

“Let me… set the records straight for clarity: As of the time I officially handed over on January 25, 2025, Zoomlion did not have a contract with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) as far as the sanitation module was concerned.

“Like you [new YEA CEO Malik Basintale], I have always maintained that the sanitation module needed a complete overhaul — not only to ensure better welfare for our hardworking beneficiaries, but because the functions being executed were overlapping with those of the local assemblies. That, in my view, is both inefficient and unsustainable,” reads part of the post.

Meanwhile, Malik Basintale has vowed never to allow the contract — which allocates GHS250 to sweepers and GHS600 to Zoomlion for administrative duties — to continue in its current form, blaming the NPP for sustaining the arrangement under their administration.

However, Mr. Agyepong noted that what is needed now is bold action to end the arrangement rather than engaging in blame games.

“I believe what we need now is not blame, but bold action — guided by facts, respect for the workers, and a firm commitment to value for money.

“Let’s have that deeper national conversation you’ve called for. I’ll be tuning in to your live session tonight, and I hope we can all contribute ideas that lead to lasting solutions,” he noted.