Malik Basintale Meets the Buz Stop Boys Amid Calls For YEA to Cut Ties With Zoomlion

• YEA boss Malik Basintale has held discussions with the Buz Stop Boys at the agency’s head office in Accra
• The meeting focused on potential collaboration to enhance volunteer-led sanitation efforts nationwide
• Engagement has come amid calls from Ghanaians to review YEA’s relationship with Zoomlion Ghana Limited

The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has met with the Buz Stop Boys, a youth-based sanitation voluntary group.

The meeting, which was held at the YEA head office in Accra, reportedly focused on how best to collaborate with the Buz Stop Boys to keep the environment clean.

During the meeting, Basintale commended the Buz Stop Boys for their yeoman's job they have been doing over the years in promoting sanitation and a clean environment across the country.

He also emphasised the value of volunteerism in community development and its potential to address key social challenges.

The YEA boss said he has had a lot of calls from Ghanaians on social media to engage the sanitation voluntary group amid the ongoing brouhaha about his agency's relationship with Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZCL).

YEA boss Basintale further stated that he invited the Buz Stop Boys to learn more about them, their plans and vision to see how best the agency could engage them for their service.

"I have heard a lot of good things about you, and there've been a lot of recommendations. Last week, I went live to interact with the Ghanaian youth, and [in] the comments section, I saw a lot of people mentioning Buz Stop Boys.

"They kept mentioning your name, and I was impressed with how people were standing in for you and admitting to the fact that you are contributing your quota to national development," he said.

The TikTok video from the meeting between Basintale and the Buz Stop Boys is below:

After the discussions, Basintale donated an undisclosed amount of money to the sanitation-based youth voluntary group to support their work. The meeting with the Buz Stop Boys comes in the wake of growing calls for the YEA to end its engagement with ZCL, a waste management giant in Ghana.

Renowned Ghanaian investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has waged a strong campaign against the ZCL, accusing the company of engaging in corrupt deals with the government and exploiting individuals engaged under the YEA youth in sanitation module.

According to him, the sweepers under the YEA sanitation module are being shortchanged in their earnings by the ZCL. He explained that GH¢850 was earmarked as money to be paid to the sweepers, but they are received GH¢250 per month, with the remaining GH¢600 going to Zoomlion.

The award-winning investigative journalist has released several official documents, including contracts, to back his numerous corruption claims against the ZCL.

Another TikTok video of Basintale and the Buz Stop Boys' meeting is below:

Who are the Buz Stop Boys?

As a non-governmental organisation, the Buz Stop Boys focus on promoting sanitation. Made up of young men and women of diverse professional backgrounds, the group was founded by Heneba Kojo Sarfo.

The Buz Stop Boys have grown from a five-member team to 40 people, becoming a force to be reckoned with in volunteerism in Ghana, winning both local and international awards and earning widespread praise.

The group recently registered a limited liability company to legally operate as a waste management firm in Ghana. After obtaining their certificate of incorporation from the Registrar-General's Department in Accra, the group disclosed the name of its new company as Pro Buz Stop Boys (PoBSB).

Greater Accra Minister meets Buz Stop Boys

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Buz Stop Boys paid a courtesy call to the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

The meeting was reportedly arranged at the behest of the newly sworn-in minister for the area, Linda Ocloo.

During the discussion, she commended the sanitation-based group for their selfless efforts to clean up Ghana.

Source: YEN.com.gh