Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has denounced the long-standing sanitation contract between the agency and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, labeling it as exploitative and unjust toward Ghanaian youth.
Taking to his official Facebook page, the YEA boss criticized the current arrangement, under which sanitation workers are paid GH¢250 from a total monthly allocation of GH¢850, while Zoomlion retains GH¢600 as management fees. Describing the contract as “evil,” Malik pledged to put an end to its renewal in its current form.
“For 7 years, 9 months, the NPP renewed the Zoomlion contract in its current state, paying the Ghanaian youth GH¢250,” he wrote. “It is evil for the previous government to have committed to this, and I shall stop it.”
The controversial contract, which has been a source of public concern for several years, has come under increased scrutiny following the change in government. Malik, who was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, emphasized that his leadership will prioritize fairness and accountability.
“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 stated.
Expressing a deeply personal motivation for his actions, Malik added: “If my mother, brother, or sister were a Zoomlion worker, I wouldn’t be happy with them taking GH¢250 as salary and as such, I can’t be happy with your mother, father, brother, or sister taking same.”
To further engage the public and outline the agency’s plans, Malik announced he would host a live session on Facebook at 8 PM to discuss reforms aimed at improving the sanitation module and ensuring a fair wage structure for workers.
“Change came on December 7th, and change must happen,” he concluded. “We can’t fail the masses.”
