Author: Mashoud Bawa
It is shocking and appalling that Manasseh Azure Awuni, the self-acclaimed watchdog of “Corporate Ghana,” has once again launched a baseless and malicious attack against the Jospong Group and its flagship waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
This time, his misplaced aggression extends beyond government officials to private businesses and individuals, as though he alone dictates which entities are fit for collaboration in this country.
As usual, his latest target is a commendable initiative by the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong.
During an engagement with Ghanaian bloggers and social media influencers in Accra, Dr. Agyepong expressed his intention to empower the BuzStopBoys to intensify their sanitation efforts, an initiative that complements Zoomlion’s work at bus stops and markets.
Despite the company’s extensive coverage and longstanding partnerships in the waste management sector, Manasseh irrationally sought to discredit this collaboration.
Manasseh’s Baseless Attacks on Jospong and Zoomlion
Since 2006, Zoomlion has regarded all waste managers as partners rather than competitors, contributing significantly to corporate Ghana and national sanitation efforts. Yet, blinded by his relentless vendetta, Manasseh portrays the BuzStopBoys, an Accra-based sanitation entity, as having more credibility than Zoomlion, which has been a game-changer in waste management and sanitation across Sub-Saharan Africa. In a bizarre and illogical move, he publicly urged the BuzStopBoys to reject any form of support from Jospong.
But who stands to lose if they heed his advice? Is Jospong offering them assistance on credit? What contribution has Manasseh himself made to support these young men? It is sheer hypocrisy for someone who has done nothing for them to dictate who they should work with.
Over the weekend, Onua FM’s SHE Project invited Zoomlion to collaborate with them, where the BuzStopBoys were also invited to a major cleanup exercise at Madina Zongo Junction, which involved desilting gutters, cleaning the market, and ensuring a pristine environment. Any rational individual who values national development would have applauded this initiative. But not Manasseh. Instead of acknowledging the impact of the partnership, he resorted to his usual toxic rhetoric, attacking Jospong and discouraging collaboration.
A Pattern of Vendetta and Smear Campaigns
For years, Manasseh has waged an unjustified war against Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his business empire. His relentless smear campaign is not fueled by patriotism but by sheer hatred, hypocrisy, and a desperate quest for relevance.
Allegedly, when his attempt to extort a luxury house at Trassaco and a V8 vehicle from the Jospong founder failed, he turned his pen into a weapon of destruction against the very company he once sought to benefit from. If this is not the height of journalistic dishonesty, what is?
This is the same pattern he used against Mr. Roland Agambire of the Agams Group, persistently attempting to bring down his brand, which he partially succeeded in doing.
However, what Manasseh fails to understand is that Jospong’s strength is not rooted in mere human effort but in divine favor. His petty attacks will not derail the company’s progress. He can keep ranting; the company is here for business and not even Manasseh can do anything.
Jospong’s Contributions to National Development
Just two weeks ago, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Linda Ocloo, engaged with the Jospong Group to explore sustainable waste management solutions for Accra. True to form, Manasseh pompously sought to “warn” her against collaborating with Jospong under the guise of fighting monopolies. Ironically, this is the same man who seeks to monopolize public opinion, dictating to governments, businesses, and citizens whom they should work with, all while pretending to be a neutral observer.
Manasseh deliberately ignores the unparalleled contributions of Jospong and Zoomlion to Ghana’s waste management sector. The company has established:
- State-of-the-art waste transfer stations
- Wastewater treatment plants
- Medical waste disposal facilities
- Recycling plants across all 16 regions
- A fleet of modern heavy-duty trucks for waste haulage
- Sanitation projects extending to the district level
If these milestones do not deserve recognition, what does? While at it, blaming Jospong, Manasseh has never encouraged the Ghanaian populace to be responsible in managing the waste they generate, nor has he proved Jospong has done anything untoward, except the sheer lies peddled each time to put the company in bad light before corporate Ghana.
He believes the YEA workers must be paid well but he ignores who engages these workers and determines how much they should be paid, rather his eye is on how much Zoomlion is making, ‘what a fuck’.
Push the burden bearers to increase their pay and pay regularly and see if Zoomlion will keep their allowances for a moment.
Time for Legal Action Against a Serial Blackmailer
Jospong must take decisive action against this serial blackmailer. No individual should be allowed to wield a pen as a weapon of destruction against legitimate businesses simply because their selfish demands were not met.
If Manasseh Azure Awuni persists in his defamatory crusade, the Jospong Group should consider the following legal remedies:
Defamation Lawsuit: Jospong can institute legal action against Manasseh for the continuous publication of falsehoods intended to harm its reputation. Libel and slander laws exist for a reason, and it is time to invoke their full strength.
Injunction: A court order can be sought to prevent him from further peddling falsehoods about the company.
Enough is enough.
The Jospong Group does not need Manasseh’s validation to continue its good work. Ghana must not allow one man’s bitterness to derail the progress of a company that has been pivotal in transforming our sanitation sector. It is time to put an end to his baseless attacks.
The writer is a Development Communications Expert with a special interest in environmental sanitation and waste management.
