Former Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Kofi Agyepong, has clarified that Zoomlion Ghana Limited held no active contract with the agency for the sanitation module at the time of his departure from office in January 2025.
In a statement titled “Setting the Records Straight – YEA Sanitation Module,” Agyepong responded to recent discussions led by current YEA CEO Malik Basintale, who has described the sanitation contract with Zoomlion as exploitative and unjustifiable.
Agyepong revealed that upon leaving office on January 25, 2025, the YEA had not renewed its contract with Zoomlion, asserting that the module needed a total overhaul.
“Like you, 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,” he stated.
He added that his position was backed by board meeting minutes and official documents, emphasizing that his decision was grounded in principle, not politics. “We can’t be doing something that the assemblies are already doing,” he wrote.
The former CEO commended Basintale’s bold stance on the issue and encouraged a national dialogue on reforming the sanitation model. “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,” he stressed.
Agyepong’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of the YEA-Zoomlion sanitation arrangement, which has been criticized by civil society voices, including journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, for allegedly shortchanging sanitation workers while enriching the contractor.
The statement signals rare continuity of purpose across two administrations and adds weight to growing calls for a restructuring—or complete cancellation—of the controversial sanitation contract.
