Ghana lost over ₵200m to Jospong Group in sanitation deals – Manasseh

Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni recently revealed that Ghana lost over GHS200 million. This loss occurred through sanitation contracts awarded to companies under the Jospong Group.

On June 9, 2015, the Ministry of Local Government requested over GHS98 million. This funding was for a Sanitation Improvement Programme to prevent a cholera outbreak. However, his investigation found irregularities and duplication in these contracts.

All 11 companies chosen for the contract were subsidiaries of the Jospong Group. The group is owned by Joseph Siaw Agyepong. One company, Meridian Waste Management Services, was not registered when awarded the contract. It only registered on September 30, 2015, three months after the contract date.

The fumigation activities funded were already covered by two existing contracts. These earlier contracts were with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, another subsidiary of Jospong. They dated back to 2009 and 2010 and were funded through other sources.

Despite this, a third fumigation contract was awarded for the same areas managed by Zoomlion. Investigators found that local assembly officials knew nothing about this new contract.

When questioned, neither the Ministry nor Zoomlion provided evidence of work done. Zoomlion's lawyers claimed supervision wasn't required in the contract terms. They presented photos as proof of work; however, police found identical images submitted for different districts.

Officials from various assemblies reported they had not seen any additional sanitation activities. The case gained attention in a 2017 documentary titled "Robbing the Assemblies." Then-Attorney General Gloria Akuffo involved the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Despite strong evidence compiled by police, no prosecutions occurred and funds were not recovered. Manasseh briefed senior prosecutors on his findings and described them as comprehensive evidence in this scandal.

Further investigations showed a pattern of contracts awarded to Jospong across government programs. Fumigation contracts were paid from both National Health Insurance Levy and District Assemblies Common Fund.

Other contracts included street sweeping through the Youth Employment Agency and refuse disposal known as Sanitation Improvement Package (SIP). Landfill management contracts went to another subsidiary called Waste Landfills Management Limited.

Contracts also managed Sanitation Guards (Nsaman Nsaman), sidelining assembly authorities further. In many cases, deductions limited resources available for independent sanitation work at assemblies.

This investigation highlights a culture of impunity involving successive administrations collaborating with Jospong despite public health risks and financial losses. Manasseh defended his reporting as essential for protecting public funds and ensuring accountability.

He stated that supporting local companies should not mean endorsing fraud. Both Jospong Group and Zoomlion Ghana Limited have denied these allegations.