In some circles, they are referred to as the “Media Cabal”. When they conspire against you, get ready to perspire. When the work of a Journalist begins to fondle the business interest of its media owner, then a conspiracy is hatched to eliminate any stumbling block on its way.

Manasseh Azure Awuni might have started what is now termed as his “Jospong Journalism” with an initial clear conscience of investigating the waste management businesses of Jospong group to determine if there are any corrupt acts. Every nation abhors corruption and we will all stand against any clear confirmed acts of corruption by a court of competent jurisdiction.

After keenly following the journalistic works of Manasseh, I started believing that an initial clear conscience has now be blended with contaminated business interests. Now, let me take you back to understand this analogy.

Manasseh got the attention of most people in this country with his GYEEDA now YEA module investigations, although there were some investigations already by some state agencies, he extensively followed up and brought the issue into the limelight. There is one particular module known as the “Youth in Sanitation module” being managed by a Waste Management giant known as Zoomlion Ghana limited. This particular module has been on Manasseh’s radar for over 7 years now.

Unlike the other modules that Manasseh investigated and the court have already served justice, this particular module has withstood all forms of investigations and still hasn’t been declared by any court of competent jurisdiction. Is it not the case that the managers of this module’s hands are clean of any wrongdoing after over 7 years of pursuing them? Even if Manasseh’s reason for always tarnishing the image of Zoomlion on his media platforms is a result of his disdain for the allowances paid to the operatives under this module, is it Zoomlion who sets that allowance to be paid to the operatives? Is it not YEA?

Zoomlion has clarified that its management fees cater for uniforms, safety boots, cost of training, brooms, nose masks, hand gloves etc of the sweepers. Why is Manasseh not channeling is energy to the Authority who sets the fees to increase the allowance for the sweepers? Is it Manasseh’s ploy to appeal to the emotional conscience of Ghanaians to incite them against Zoomlion by creating the impression as if Zoomlion sets the amount to be paid to the sweepers? Why is Manasseh not targeting his anger to the authority that sets the fee but rather to Zoomlion? These mind-boggling queries got me believing that there may be a different agenda contaminating an initial clear conscience of Manasseh.

Manasseh now all of a sudden drops his focus on “GYEEDA now YEA module” vigilantism and re-directs his career to “Jospong Journalism”. Note that, there are even new modules introduced by YEA unto the already existing modules but Manasseh do not care any more about them because the agenda is to remove a stumbling block known as the Jospong group to perpetuate a contaminated agenda.

Manasseh has now serialized his investigations and apportioned every chapter of the series to the waste management companies of Jospong group and maligning them on multi-media platforms, social media handles and Folders of different sizes. Is it not intriguing that all these heavy piercing blocks thrown at the Jospong group over these years, not a single act of corruption have been pronounced on it by a court of competent jurisdiction. Name any if you know of? Manasseh then begins to name the following;

What about the World Bank pronouncement and two-year ban on Zoomlion’s Liberia incident?

Remember that before an International body like the World Bank will award a contract to any privileged institution or company, then you have been duly investigated and cleared of any wrong doing. A Ghanaian company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited qualified per the world bank integrity standards and was awarded the Liberia contract to construct an engineered Landfill in Liberia. When it was detected that a staff of Zoomlion had paid bribe which was not under the authority of the company, the world bank issued a two-year ban and took steps to investigate the entire company and its affiliates.

To the world bank’s amazement, during their further investigations on the company and its affiliates, they realized that Zoomlion meets the world bank integrity standard and was lifted from the ban. In a press release from the World Bank Group Sanctions, signed by its Integrity Compliance Officer, Mr Jonathan Shapiro “Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the now released affiliates are currently (as of September 23, 2015) eligible to bid on and be considered for World Bank Group funded and/or administered projects”. A certification has been awarded to Zoomlion by the world bank for upholding an integrity of the world bank’s status and requirement. Manasseh knows this but will never say it because the agenda is to attack the integrity of Zoomlion and create hatred for it among the public for a new business to emerge.

Manasseh knows that there has been a lot of reputable company on the World bank list and none of I know of has been lifted from the ban. Manasseh knows that the world bank hardly lifts any entity from their blacklist and Zoomlion achieving that feat was impeccable and exceptional.

Manasseh knows that Zoomlion holds a world bank integrity status but over his dead body will he say anything positive about Zoomlion because a conspiracy has been cooked for a new business to kick out the Ghanaian Zoomlion. Very surprising!

Manasseh again runs to his social media platform and announces that Zoomlion has been requested to refund some stated amount to the State for wrong doing in this sanitation module contract execution. He claimed he had a documentation to that affect.

The CEO of Zoomlion on Manasseh’s own media platform, Joyfm dared him to produce any document to that effect. Manasseh was sweating, he had no document, simply put, Manasseh LIED!!! He is just a conduit for a bigger agenda.

Again, Manasseh took a recently published Auditor General’s report and distributed them to the various media houses saying “Publish it, Zoomlion has been surcharged”. When he was question that the same report by the auditor general is admitting that “We are aware that as a human institution, genuine errors or omissions may arise from the disallowance and surcharge. We therefore encourage anyone aggrieved by a disallowance or a surcharge to appeal to the high court as provided by Article 187(9) of the Constitution”.

Manasseh did not like this question because Zoomlion is in court, he knows it is only the court who can confirm the surcharge. He fears Zoomlion might be cleared of any wrong doing. He just wants Zoomlion to be prosecuted in the Media not the court. His agenda is to incite Ghanaians against Zoomlion. Then he plots another smart antic which was captioned;

“Gov’t cancels ¢362m Jospong contract after JoyNews investigation”. Manasseh plotted this news with the headline on myjoyonline.com. This antic he believes will work out the conspiracy to perspire Jospong. The Jospong group came out with a press statement to expose Manasseh. The contract has elapsed based on its own terms. Government did not have immediate funds to pay if the contract was executed.

The two parties agreed to part ways. The two-year time period for the contract has elapsed. Nothing was cancelled, Manasseh’s one sided investigation did not lead to the cancellation of any contract.

The contract died a natural death, Manasseh did not kill it. Eco Bank Ghana limited has decided to loan the Jospong group an initial $10 million credit to provide waste bins to households in Ghana. The “One Household, one waste bin” is a major solution to Ghana’s waste management challenge.

So what could be Manasseh’s reasons for continuously maligning the waste management companies under the Jospong group? An insider sources revealed that it is a broader conspiracy. The once unattractive waste management sector which Jospong has over the years invested into has now become lucrative. Various Business consortiums have declared interest in the Business.

The shocker of all this is Joyfm’s Kwasi Twum and CEO of the multi- media group. It is alleged that Kwesi Twum is leading a Business group from Morocco to run the Sanitation Module of YEA. Kwesi Twum have developed a new taste for the waste management business. Manasseh Awuni Azure is his conduit. Due to this, Manasseh has become a Kingpin in the newsroom of JoyFm. He disrespects his colleagues at the news room because he is serving the interest of Kwasi Twum. He will keep doing Jospong Journalism until these Moroccans led by Kwesi Twum lands this waste management deal. Sacrificing a Ghanaian company for a foreign company to gain a booty?

Interesting times ahead! We are keenly observing!!

By: Thomas Adjei Opoku, Sunyani

The Writer is a Freelance Journalist and can be reached on the emailed address (Tadjeiopoku@gmail.com)