Investigative journalist Manasseh Azuri has revealed the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah has distanced himself from any wrongdoing concerning a contentious decision made by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
This decision involved increasing management fees for Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a company that has been managing cleaning services in Ghana since 2006 under a controversial contract.
Mr. Korsah, who was a deputy minister and board member at the time, claims he did not attend the board meeting where the decision was made, contradicting the official minutes which recorded his presence.
Manasseh reached out to clarify that he had reviewed the board minutes and insisted he was not involved in the discussions or the decision-making process.
“The minutes indicate that the decision to raise fees was met with opposition from three board members, including YEA’s CEO Kofi Baah Agyepong, who boycotted the subcommittee meeting due to his strong opposition to the fee increase,” Manasseh stated.
The Investigative journalist further noted that the proposed fee increase has raised concerns, as it would see Zoomlion receiving a substantial portion of the funds allocated for cleaners, while the workers themselves would receive only a fraction of the total amount.
Critics have highlighted that despite the government allocating 850 cedis per cleaner per month, Zoomlion would take 600 cedis, leaving the cleaners with just 250 cedis, below the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Mr. Azuri has reached out to the YEA for an official response regarding the minister’s claims but has yet to receive a reply.
The ongoing controversy surrounding the YEA and Zoomlion’s contract continues to draw attention, particularly regarding the treatment and compensation of workers involved in cleaning services across Ghana.
Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh