Malik Basintale
The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has pledged not to renew the agency’s longstanding sanitation contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited under its current terms, following sharp criticisms from investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
In a Facebook post last week, Manasseh issued a strong warning to Basintale, describing the proposed renewal as a “theft” and declaring that the deal “stinks to the heavens.”
He revealed that although sanitation workers under the contract are allotted GH¢850 monthly, Zoomlion allegedly retains GH¢600 as management fees, leaving only GH¢250 for the sweepers—a figure many have slammed as exploitative and inhumane.
The contract, which reportedly expired in September 2024, had previously faced opposition from former YEA CEO under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, Kofi Agyapong. Agyapong, before his exit, had resisted attempts to renew the contract, citing a lack of accountability and transparency, and had formally notified Zoomlion of the contract’s termination.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Malik Basintale responded to these concerns, promising decisive action to protect the welfare of Ghanaian workers.
“For seven years and nine months, the NPP renewed the Zoomlion contract in its current state, paying the Ghanaian youth/worker GH¢250,” Basintale wrote, adding “H.E. John Dramani Mahama came to review, reset, and bring Ghana back on track. This includes ensuring that every worker is paid satisfactorily for the work done.”
He vowed: “I promise on my honour, as I stand by the grave of my late dad, not to renew the contract in its current state or form. It is evil for the previous government to have committed to this and I shall stop it.”
Basintale emphasised that he could not, in good conscience, accept a situation where workers — including his own relatives — were paid such meager wages. He invited the public to join him live on Facebook Thursday evening to discuss the matter and the way forward.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Caucus has thrown its support behind the YEA’s autonomy in the matter.
In a statement issued on April 25, Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, stated that Parliament’s Sanitation Committee had not been authorised to interfere with YEA’s decision regarding the Zoomlion contract.
“The Chairman of the Committee has reported to me that, contrary to media reports, neither he nor any committee member has attempted to do any such thing,” Mr. Ayariga said.
He stressed that any comments by individual committee members appearing to defend the contract should be ignored, as they do not reflect the official position of Parliament or the Committee.
Mr. Ayariga also warned Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) against being coerced into sanitation contracts, reiterating that Parliament has ensured that 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund now goes directly to the assemblies to determine their own development priorities.
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