The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Caucus has firmly denied interfering in the sanitation module contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and waste management company Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mahama Ayariga, clarified that the NDC Caucus has not authorised the Sanitation Committee of Parliament to engage in any dealings regarding the YEA’s decision on Zoomlion’s contract.
According to Hon. Mahama Ayariga, the Chairman of the Sanitation Committee has confirmed that neither he nor any other member of the committee has acted contrary to this position. He stressed that any public comments made by individual members in support of Zoomlion’s contract with the YEA do not reflect the position of the Committee or Parliament.
“Any comments made by any member of the Sanitation Committee which appear to defend Zoomlion’s sanitation contract with YEA should be ignored by YEA or the public, as they do not represent the decision or opinion of the Committee or Parliament,” Hon. Mahama Ayariga stated.
The Majority Leader also advised Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) not to succumb to pressure from any authority to enter into sanitation contracts with specific companies.
He reminded the public that, under a directive implemented in the last session of Parliament, 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund is now allocated directly to the assemblies. This, he said, grants them autonomy to determine their own development priorities, including sanitation services.
The NDC Caucus’s clarification comes amid public scrutiny and parliamentary discussions surrounding contracts awarded to Zoomlion and its affiliates, including past controversies involving inflated procurement figures.
