Former Youth Employment Agency (YEA) CEO Kofi Agyepong has rejected claims by Zoomlion Ghana Limited that his administration proposed a monthly allowance of GHS300 for sanitation workers under the agency’s program, calling the assertion a distortion of facts.
The dispute centers on a 2024 contract renewal negotiation between YEA and Zoomlion, a waste management firm contracted to oversee sanitation modules.
In a sharp rebuttal to Zoomlion’s April 30 press release, Agyepong clarified that his team had counter-proposed a GHS500 monthly allowance for sweepers, not GHS300. He described the figure as “modest but necessary” given budgetary constraints at the time. “We wished we could offer more in recognition of the beneficiaries’ hard work, but fiscal realities limited our options,” he stated.
Agyepong accused Zoomlion of mischaracterizing discussions by citing a separate company proposal to allocate GHS1,308 per beneficiary, with GHS888 retained by Zoomlion and GHS420 going to workers. He labeled this structure “excessive, unjustified, and deeply unfair,” adding that his administration outright rejected it. He further dismissed Zoomlion’s suggestion that talks are ongoing, stressing that no negotiations occurred under his leadership and that current YEA management holds sole responsibility for any renewed discussions.
The former CEO also revealed efforts to introduce transparency measures during his tenure, including direct YEA oversight of beneficiary payments and centralized storage of program logistics in agency-managed warehouses. Zoomlion reportedly rejected both proposals, which Agyepong framed as critical to safeguarding public funds and ensuring fair treatment of workers. “These reforms aimed to prioritize accountability, but Zoomlion’s refusal led to the contract’s non-renewal during my term,” he said.
Agyepong urged current YEA leadership to resist external pressures and uphold transparency, emphasizing that the agency’s partnership with Zoomlion should prioritize worker welfare over corporate interests. “This is a matter of public accountability, not partisan politics. Ghanaians deserve clarity on how their taxes are utilized,” he asserted.
The clash highlights longstanding scrutiny over YEA’s partnership with Zoomlion, which has faced allegations of opaque financial practices in past audits. Civil society groups have repeatedly called for stricter oversight of such contracts, particularly as sanitation workers often employed under precarious conditions report delayed payments and inadequate benefits. With public trust in government partnerships at stake, Agyepong’s appeal underscores the need for structural reforms to align public service contracts with equitable and transparent standards.
As debates over labor rights and fiscal responsibility intensify, the outcome of this dispute may set a precedent for how Ghana balances private-sector collaborations with grassroots accountability. For now, the focus remains on whether current YEA leadership will heed calls for reform or maintain the status quo.
Read his full statement below:
Send your news stories to newsghana101@gmail.com
Follow News Ghana on Google News
