Parliament to summon Manasseh Azure over Zoomlion contract allegations
The Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources, John Oti Bless, who described the journalist’s claims as serious, said the committee would not rush to conclusions but would rather seek clarity through dialogue and scrutiny. He emphasised that any concerns about the contract must be addressed responsibly, given the thousands of Ghanaians who depend on Zoomlion for employment
The Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources, John Oti Bless, says the committee will summon investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni to appear before it over his recent public comments urging the government not to renew its sanitation contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
The journalist, in an open letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintalle, described the deal between the government and Zoomlion as a “cleaners’ deal” that “stinks to the heavens”, and called on the agency to scrap the contract under the Sanitation Improvement Package (SIP).
But addressing journalists on Thursday (25 April) after touring Zoomlion’s Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant in the Ashanti Region, Mr Oti Bless disclosed that the committee intends to formally invite Manasseh next week to provide evidence backing his claims.
“We want to invite Manasseh Azure to appear before the committee sometime next week to come and share the information he has as far as this issue is concerned, so we find a way out,” he said.
Mr Oti Bless, who described the journalist’s claims as serious, said the committee would not rush to conclusions but would rather seek clarity through dialogue and scrutiny. He emphasised that any concerns about the contract must be addressed responsibly, given the thousands of Ghanaians who depend on Zoomlion for employment.
“If there are issues with the contract, that’s why we are leaders. We have to address them. But definitely, once it has to do with Ghanaians, thousands of Ghanaians will lose their jobs if this contract is not renewed,” he noted.
He added that the YEA CEO would also be invited before the committee to discuss how best to improve the conditions of service for sanitation workers under the SIP initiative.
The chairman’s comments come in the wake of mounting debate over value for money in sanitation contracts awarded to private firms, particularly Zoomlion and its parent company, the Jospong Group.
Mr Oti Bless, however, defended the group, lauding its investments in waste management and sanitation. “I am impressed. This is the first time I’m witnessing this kind of investment,” he said, calling on the public and the government to support local businesses like Jospong.
The General Manager of the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant, Samuel Ntummy, also used the opportunity to call on lawmakers to support private waste management firms to expand operations and improve sanitation outcomes nationwide.
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