Former President Jerry John Rawlings has said Ghanaians must learn to respect and appreciate people like Joseph Siaw Agyapong popularly known as Jospong, MyNewsGh.com has filed.

According to the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who was addressing the 2018 Thanksgiving Service of the Zoomlion and Jospong Group in Accra, when everyone thought filth was disgusting, Jospong saw a business opportunity and took up the challenge.

“When the places were filled up with filth he was thinking like a true business entrepreneur. He went into converting that waste into manure and other things. This is what development is about. I remember someone said he used to run a kiosk man but when a kiosk man can do things like this, you need to respect him.” he said.

Mr Rawlings revealed that he used to be angry at the mention of Jospong but has since revised his position because he appears to be doing well in the fight against filth in the country.

Rawlings said like some Ghanaians, he initially had a problem with Jospong but upon learning about its work, he realized the man deserves respect.

“This group of companies much as I use to get angry at the mention of them in the beginning, I used to ask myself how many people will take up and do this kind of work. Why was I getting angry because I heard that about a huge percentage of the district assemblies’ budget has been carved out to them alone? No competitors…yes, no competitors. So much money and thought some of that money could have been carved out to other private entrepreneurs. Talking about the private sector in order to introduce many others and to ensure there was competition. But no it all went out to this man”, he revealed.