President John Dramani Mahama has officially ended the 19-year contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, citing longstanding concerns over corruption and mismanagement.
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The decision was confirmed in a letter dated June 11, 2025, addressed to investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni. It follows years of pressure and exposés led by Manasseh, who has persistently uncovered irregularities in the sanitation module contract since 2013.
The letter, signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, stated:
“The contract between Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited (Zoomlion) has expired and will not be renewed.”
This marks a significant victory for Manasseh, whose investigations revealed that while GHS 850 was allocated per sweeper under the YEA module, Zoomlion reportedly retained GHS 600, leaving sweepers with just GHS 250 monthly.
The exposés also highlighted issues such as:
Zoomlion charging interest on delayed YEA payments, totaling GHS 90 million in 2024.
A 2018 audit that showed a mismatch between YEA’s verified headcount of 38,884 sweepers and Zoomlion’s claim of 45,000.
The company’s near-monopoly over sanitation contracts nationwide.
Calls to terminate the contract had come from various quarters over the years, including former YEA CEO Kofi Baah Agyepong, who argued the agency was capable of managing the sweepers directly.
President Mahama’s move is expected to lead to “probable cost savings” and improved welfare for sweepers, with a promise to increase the amount paid directly to them moving forward.
