Investigative journalism is meant to expose wrongdoing, not to target and destroy hardworking individuals and indigenous businesses. But Manasseh Azure Awuni has carried an unrelenting vendetta for over two decades against Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and the Jospong Group of Companies. His latest article, dripping with pain, pettiness and ill intent, seeks to discredit a man whose only crime is building a business empire that provides solutions to Ghana’s sanitation challenges while creating thousands of jobs for its citizens.
Let’s be clear: Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong is not a politician. He is a businessman whose duty is to identify opportunities and provide services that benefit the state. His work does not depend on who occupies the Flagstaff House; his business thrives because it is built on solving real problems, something Manasseh will never admit or is it ignorance.
Jospong has spearheaded sanitation management for years in Ghana, contributing immensely to a cleaner environment. The company played a critical role in waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic, working tirelessly to disinfect public spaces and prevent the spread of the virus. When Ghana faced sanitation crises, it was Jospong that stepped up, not Manasseh, who sits comfortably behind his computer, fabricating stories to incite hatred against a business that employs thousands of Ghanaians.
Manasseh’s hatred for Dr. Agyepong has reached absurd levels. He twists every success of Jospong into a conspiracy theory. When Jospong expands, Manasseh calls it corruption. When Jospong secures contracts through legitimate bidding, he calls it favoritism. And when the company gets recognition for its achievements, he goes into overdrive, spewing baseless accusations. This is not journalism, it is obsession, and worse, it is unGhanaianess.
A truly patriotic Ghanaian celebrates the success of indigenous businesses that keep our economy afloat. But Manasseh, driven by envy and bitterness, would rather see Ghanaian-owned companies crumble just to satisfy his insatiable desire for destruction. Has he ever acknowledged a single good thing the Jospong Group has done? No! His sole mission is to create public outrage against a company that has only done what every successful businessman does by working with the government of the day to develop the nation.
The hypocrisy is staggering. If a foreign company were executing these same projects, Manasseh would be the first to praise them. But because Jospong is owned by a Ghanaian, he launches ceaseless attacks to discredit its work. This is the kind of backward thinking that keeps nations from progressing.
And now, because Jospong is embracing a 24-hour sanitation model, Manasseh wants to tie it to politics, as if keeping Ghana clean should be a partisan issue. Only an idiot would fail to recognize that visionary businessmen align with national development goals, not party politics. The state exists beyond governments, and patriotic businesses continue to serve regardless of who is in power. That is what Jospong has done for decades, and that is what it will continue to do, no matter how much bile Manasseh spills.
Manasseh Azure Awuni can continue his hateful crusade. He can write a thousand more hit pieces. But one fact remains: while he drowns in bitterness and pain, Jospong will continue to soar. God’s blessings are not dictated by envious men. And as Ghana moves forward, it is indigenous businesses like Jospong that will drive its prosperity, not bitter, small-minded individuals who see nothing good in their own countrymen.
Manasseh must come to terms with the reality that no amount of his negativity will erase the impact of Jospong. Whether he likes it or not, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong’s vision has transcended Ghana’s borders, making monumental strides in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Togo, Angola, Gambia, Liberia, and beyond. Today, Jospong is executing multi-million-dollar waste management projects across Africa, positioning itself as the undisputed leader in sanitation and environmental sustainability on the continent. This success is not by accident, it is the manifestation of diligence, vision, and, above all, divine favor.
Manasseh should ask himself: What does he gain from this chronic bitterness? Does he ever pause to consider the thousands of Ghanaian families who depend on Jospong’s success? The street sweepers, waste collectors, engineers, administrators, and countless others who earn their livelihoods from the master plans of Dr. Agyepong? do their survival mean nothing to him? If he has chosen to live an anti-progressive life, must he drag others along?
It is time for him to let go of the pain, to abandon this toxic obsession with another man’s success. If he truly believes in God, he should understand that what God has blessed, no man can curse. Jospong’s rise is not the work of men; it is the work of God. And what God has put together, let no man put asunder, not even Manasseh Azure Awuni with his bitterness-fueled agenda.
For once, Manasseh should consider what legacy he is leaving behind. Does he want his name to be forever associated with resentment and hostility toward progress? Or will he finally wake up to the truth that successful businessmen work for the interest of the state, not political parties? History will not be kind to men who dedicate their lives to tearing others down instead of building.
Dr. Agyepong will continue to lead, Jospong will continue to grow, and Ghana will continue to benefit. Manasseh must decide whether he wants to be remembered as a journalist who informed and inspired, or as a man who spent his life fighting against success, only to be left behind by the very progress he tried to destroy. The choice is his.
The writer is a Development Communication Expert with a special interest in environmental sustainability and sanitation.
Email: mbawa@yahoo.com
