"I swear on my honour, I will NOT renew this contract in its current form" - Malik Basintale

Malik Basintale

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has firmly stated that he will not renew the existing contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited if sanitation workers continue to be paid the current wage of GH¢250.

In a strongly worded Facebook post on Friday, April 25, Basintale condemned the current contract terms, describing them as exploitative and unfair to young Ghanaians.

His comments come amid growing public outrage, led in part by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who has consistently criticized the renewal of the contract, highlighting the poor treatment of workers and breaches of contract terms.

Basintale, echoing these concerns, labelled the current arrangement a "rip-off" of struggling Ghanaians and stressed that such practices would not be tolerated under the current administration.

"All my life, I have fought for integrity and for better opportunities for the youth and people of Ghana," he stated.

"I swear on my honour, and by the grave of my late father, that I will NOT renew this contract in its present form. It is wickedness for any government to have committed to this, and I will put an end to it," Basintale pledged, promising fairer treatment for workers under President Mahama’s leadership.

Expressing deep personal concern for the workers, he added, "If my own mother, brother, or sister were working for Zoomlion, I would not accept them earning just GH¢250."

Basintale also announced that he would host a live session on Facebook at 8 p.m., inviting the public to join the discussion and share their views on the way forward regarding the controversial contract.

MICHAEL OPPONG-AMPONSAH