When President Joseph Nyuma Boakai during his maiden Annual Message promised to "restore confidence in justice and governance," few expected that one of a most controversial contractors would soon be eyeing a $200 million government deal.
But even as the Boakai administration goes full throttle in its fight against corruption in order to restore public confidence, the news that the corruption-laden Zoomlion is angling for the country's biggest postwar waste management contract is causing worries in many quarters.
A Questionable Bid
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Reliable reports indicate that Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group, is making a final push for a US$200 million waste management contract through the Monrovia and Paynesville City Corporations.
This prospect has shocked many Liberians and governance watchers who question the seriousness of the Boakai administration's anti-corruption agenda. For a company with a record tainted by corruption, bribery, and deceit, even the opportunity to bid is an affront to public trust.
World Bank Blacklist: A Tainted Record
Zoomlion's dark history is well-documented. In September 2013, the World Bank imposed a two-year debarment on the company after finding it guilty of "sanctionable misconduct" related to the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project in Liberia.
Investigators determined that Zoomlion had paid bribes to secure contracts--one of the largest corruption scandals to hit West Africa's waste management sector. As a result, the World Bank banned the company from participating in any of its contracts from September 24, 2013 to September 23, 2015.
The company admitted wrongdoing and was required to implement integrity compliance reforms as part of a settlement. (World Bank Sanctions List, 2013)
Ghana's Lessons in Waste and Corruption
In Ghana, Zoomlion's rise has been a case study in political patronage and misuse of public funds. Since its first major government contract in 2006 under the National Youth Employment Programme, the company has operated on an extractive model.
The government paid 850 Ghanaian cedis per worker each month, of which Zoomlion pocketed 600 cedis as "management fees." Workers were left with only 250 cedis--often paid late, without benefits or job security.
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and others exposed the depth of corruption, prompting the John Mahama administration to blacklist Zoomlion from future deals. The investigations revealed systematic "siphoning of taxpayers' money" and deliberate inflation of contract costs.
The $74 Million Scandal
In 2016, just before President Mahama left office, five subsidiaries of the Jospong Group were awarded a $74 million sole-sourced contract to supply one million waste bins and 900,000 disposable liners.
While Zoomlion claimed the bins would be distributed for free, the cost was massively inflated. Jospong charged the government $15.60 per bin liner, though the same liners were sold on the open market for $0.23.
The bin-liner component alone was overpriced by more than $13.8 million--a blatant abuse of public funds and trust. (Manasseh Azure Awuni Investigations, 2016).
Liberia: A Familiar Deception
Zoomlion's bid for Liberia's waste management contract is not its first act in the country. During the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project, the company falsified financial reports, exaggerated project costs, and submitted misleading figures.
It exploited weak oversight systems and used bribery to secure contracts--behaviors that ultimately led to the World Bank's sanctions. Re-engaging this same company today would represent a regression in Liberia's governance standards.
The Human Cost of Corruption
Zoomlion's corrupt practices have broader consequences than financial losses. The company's operations have eroded public trust in government institutions; diverted vital public resources from essential services; exploited low-income workers through unfair pay and conditions; and saddled governments with unsustainable debts.
That such a company continues to win contracts across the region underscores the persistence of corruption and impunity in Africa's public procurement systems.
A Test of Integrity for Boakai's Administration
As Zoomlion angles for another major deal in Liberia, this moment is more than a procurement decision--it is a litmus test of the Boakai administration's integrity.
The World Bank's past action showed that accountability can work. But vigilance must continue to prevent the same corrupt actors from returning under new disguises.
Liberia now stands at a crossroads: Will the government choose short-term convenience over long-term integrity?
The Choice Before Liberia
Awarding a $280 million contract to a company once sanctioned for bribery in Liberia would betray President Boakai's promise to restore confidence and fight corruption.
If this administration is serious about good governance, it must send a clear message that no company--however politically connected--can buy its way back into public contracts through deception and influence.
Conclusion
Liberia cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. The people deserve a waste management system that is transparent, efficient, and accountable--not one tainted by scandal.
Liberians are watching. The international community is watching. History will record the choice.
References:
Inside the $74m Ghana waste scandal facing ...
May 14, 2025 · Ghana President John Mahama is under pressure to cancel the country's long-standing sanitation deal with Zoomlion, as allegations ...
2. https://radiotamaleonline.com ' blog ' ...Manasseh: Linda Ocloo's partnership with Zoomlion ...
Feb 5, 2025 · According to Awuni, Zoomlion and its parent company, the Jospong Group, have been implicated in multiple corruption scandals, both
3. https://thehighstreetjournal.com ' president-mahama...
Jun 12, 2025 · The 19-year-old deal, criticized for corruption and inefficiency, will officially end, thanks in part to a petition filed by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
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4. https://ghanaguardian.com ' president-mahama...
President Mahama terminates YEA contract with Zoomlion over ...
President John Dramani Mahama has officially ended the long-standing contract between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a move aimed at addressing
5. https://liberianinvestigator.com ' update ' corruption...
Corruption-tainted Zoomlion back in Liberia?
Feb 7, 2025 · Zoomlion's renewed interest in Liberia comes despite its troubled history in the country, where it was previously debarred by the ...
6. https://metrotvonline.com ' govt-treatment-of...
Gov't Treatment of Zoomlion Threatens Investor ...
Jul 8, 2025 · The recent decision by government to review or decentralize sanitation contracts with Zoomlion Ghana Limited could send the wrong ...
7. https://www.insightsliberia.com
Who Brought Back ZoomLion in Liberia?
Jul 16, 2025 · Zoomlion, a Ghanaian waste management company with a controversial reputation for corruption and fraud, is quietly returning to Liberia's sanitation sector despite past bans and ...
President Mahama Ends Controversial Zoomlion Contract After 19 ...
Jun 12, 2025 · In a bold and widely praised move, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government will not renew the long-standing and controversial contract ...
9. https://thefourthestategh.com ' parliament...
Parliament calls for cancellation of Zoomlion contract
Aug 29, 2023 · In 2017, an investigative report by JoyNews reporter, Manasseh Azure Awuni, now The Fourth Estate's founding Editor-In-Chief, ...
