The situation of waste Collection, disposal and management in Ghana was a national disaster before Dr Siaw Agyapong, who started as a mere book seller but with unparalleled wisdom came out with an efficient integrated Waste collection, Waste management and Waste disposal solutions to cover the entire management of waste nationwide.
So, Dr Siaw Agyapong, now a global icon must be celebrated for an excellent job in the Waste Collection, Waste Disposal and Waste Management in Ghana. The problem with the Waste Management Contract between the Government of Ghana and Zoomlion Ghana is not the fault of Zoomlion but the problem is the Government of Ghana through the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) which is the Champion of the Contract and responsible for the employment of the personnel and determination of the disbursement of payments.
So, with regards to the wages of the Cleaners, Zoomlion Ghana is just a mere Special Purpose Vehicle for the government of Ghana through Zoomlion to manage the Cleaners and pay them wages as approved by the Government of Ghana through YEA. So the cheater is not Zoomlion, Ghana but the Government of Ghana through YEA. This is a fact. So, shame to the YEA/Government of Ghana, from the Regime of President Kofour to the Regime of President Nana Addo. Thus includes the first Regime of President Mahama. So President Mahama should rather see to upgrade the Contract to meet the desired expectations.
The People of Ghana and the Officials of our beloved President JD Mahama need to be educated that Waste Management deals with gathering of waste, storage, collection of the stored wastes in waste bins etc, then haulage, and transfer of the waste to sites for sorting them into the different types for recycling or processing and for disposal of solid waste. Ghanaians need to appreciate that over 7,000 tons of waste is generated daily especially in the Cities.
The issue with the termination of the Zoomlion Contract has come to confirm my usual mantra that our leaders or State Officials always take decisions without critical thinking mindset. So, it is very sad that our beloved President, His Excellency JD Mahama, a Statesman par excellence, who is a Historian has allowed his Officials to always mislead him. This happened in his first regime, despites his regrets, he is still allowing some officials to mislead him as well as allowing public emotions to override good reasoning on national issues and for good governance. Our President, a Statesman, par excellence and a Historian, must be guided by the History of Ghana at all times.
To drive my point home, let me cite examples of the errors by Officials in the Regime of President Mahama. Officials made him to sell tractors to Farmers. Google and read ‘Mahama: I made a mistake for Selling Tractors to Farmers’. The Minister of Trade and Industries and his team in the first regime of His Excellency President JD Mahama, ignored the history of sugar production in Ghana and the need for the application of the principles of comparative advantage and Backward Integration with the establishment of Sugar Production Series in Ghana and created a disaster with the Komenda Sugar Production Series as stated in my Article. Google for ‘Bogobiri’s Article on Komenda Sugar Production Series’.
Officials in the First Regime of President Mahama failed to appreciate the history of Small Scale Mining in Ghana, so as to note that Small Scale Mining, a necessary evil for survival or livelihood like Prostitution which has come to stay, is a potential national or global disaster due to its potential as an existential threat to flora and fauna including human beings if not well managed , when they came out with bad laws to promote mechanized Small Scale Mining in Ghana, a Country with very greedy, indiscipline/ undisciplined and corrupt nationals and with PHD (Pull Him Down) syndrome. .
These bad laws in the Mining Sector include Minerals and Mining General Regulations 2012 (LI2173), Minerals and Mining Support Service Regulation 2012 (LI2174) and aspect of Ghana Investment Promotion Center Act 2013 (Act 865) which failed to make Small Scale Mining as no Go Area for Foreigners. As well as a law that condemned Precious Minerals Marketing Company as National Assayer and allowed Foreigners and their Ghanaian Accomplices to take over the buying and exporting of gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector. You may read this in my paper ‘Ghana got it very wrong with Small Scale Mining, a Poverty Driven Act’ as published on the Website of Modern Ghana on 11 June 2025.
So, our beloved President JD Mahama, a very good historian needs to review the history of Waste Collection and Management in Ghana for facts and come out with a good arrangement or contract for Zoomlion Ghana. He must not allow bad officials in his regime to let him cause a National Disaster in the Sanitation industry. So readers come on board on the Bogobiri’s Ship for the Better Ghana Agenda for a partial history of Waste Management in Ghana.
Situation before inception of Zoomlion
People must appreciate the difference between waste Collection and Waste Disposal at landfilled Sites before the establishment of Zoomlion and the efficient Waste Management by Zoomlion which deals with waste gathering, storage, collection of the stored waste in waste bins etc, then the haulage, and transfer of the waste to sites for sorting, for recycling or processing and for disposal of solid waste. Hence Zoomlion is a very good candidate for the 24 hour Economy.
So, before the coming of Zoomlion, Ghana, from the Stable of the Jospong system, Ghana did not have an efficient Waste Management system. Waste in Ghana before the coming of Zoomlion especially in the Cities were collected by Waste Collection Companies which included Canada’s Group Chagnon and Country Waste Company (Hon Mr Eddie Annan’s Company) by collecting the waste and dumping them at landfilling sites without segregating them thus created environmental hazards and not making Ghana to benefit profitable from the Waste through recycling and the manufacturing of fertilizer etc. Thus Ghana had Waste Collection and Waste dumping Companies and not Waste Management Companies or Company before the coming of Zoomlion Ghana.
It was found that the Services of these Waste Collection and Dumping Companies were not the best, which was not due to their fault but due to lack of extensive waste management infrastructure in Ghana, hence Ghana or rather the Waste Collection and Dumping Companies were struggling to match with the bourgeoning or increasing demand for efficient waste management and disposal system.
The inadequate waste disposal and management infrastructures led to various waste disposal challenges especially in the Cities. Due to lack of basic waste management services and inadequate recycling plants. There were issue of problem of Landfilling Sites and issue of Funding due to irregular/improper and untimely release of funds by the District Assemblies to the Waste Collection Companies.
The problems were due to the District Assemblies not providing nearby Landfilling Sites and Recycling Plants or Stations and the delay in the releases of the District Assembly Common Fund to the District Assemblies and due to the bureaucratic system or Red-tapism in Ghana. So, the delay in release of funds was due to officials’ feet dragging/bureaucracy of red-tapism. These situations caused sizeable amount of waste not collected and if collected not properly disposed of. This culminated in the blocking of open drains and water bodies. These led to flooding, hence the situation led to Environmental, Safety and Health risks due to pollution of the environment (water including siltation, soil, and air).
Enter Dr Siaw Agyapong and his Zoomlion.
The headache of the Waste problem in Ghana made the Regime of President Kofour in 2005, with critical thinking mindset to see for the need for a credible Waste Management system through a performance based contract Services.
Enter Dr Siaw Agyapong, the Bookseller, with a credible integrated Waste Management solution, which was bought by President Kofour in 2006 and this gave birth to Zoomlion Ghana. So the Government of Ghana and Zoomlion Ghana entered into Sanitation Service Contract Agreement with the scope of work of the contract which included Waste Collection, Waste Storage, Waste Haulage or Transfer and Waste Management and Waste Disposal.
The Scope of Work of the Service Agreement, made Zoomlion to be responsible for Waste Management in Ghana. Thus included the provision of logistics for on the ground or field waste operators, their uniform, their working tools etc. Zoomlion was required by the Contract with the Government of Ghana (the problem) to manage the day to day activities of the field operatives and for working for 4 hours pay each worker GHC250.00 per Cleaner. So the GHC GHC250.00 per cleaner is the decision of YEA or Government of Ghana. Since Contract allowed review of the Contract including employment of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for review and adjustment of Contract fees after 12 months.
So, what fees goes to Zoomlion for Management of the Waste etc should not be an issue of national debate to roast Dr Siaw Agyapong in the Court of public opinion, since it was based on the Scope of Work, as per mutual agreement between the Government and Zoomlion. Zoomlion per the Contract like any Contract was required to apply for upward adjustment of the Contract fees, which include the wages of the cleaners. So, the Guilty person is the Government of Ghana.
It must be stressed that Zoomlion Ghana does not control or determine the wages or timing of payments of the operators. But for humanitarian reasons, the Company has to take loans from Banks at very high interest rates to pre-finance the allowances of the cleaners. It must be noted that out of the management fees, Zoomlion was responsible for meeting the cost of professional development of the Workers and meeting welfare issues including funeral and medical support as when and necessary . So Shame to Government of Ghana.
