Kumasi Mayor Threatens to Lash Traders Who Don’t Vacate Pavements: “This is Otumfuo’s City”

• Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi wants to lash traders operating on pavements in the CBD
• Boadi suggested that his approach to managing Kumasi would borrow from military governments
• Assemblymen confirmed him as Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly on April 10

Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi has threatened to beat traders operating on pavements in the city.

Boadi has given unauthorised traders a two-week ultimatum to vacate pavements within the central business district.

At a press conference on April 14, he said a decongestion exercise would begin on April 16 to evict traders on pavements.

Boadi stated that his approach to managing the city would borrow aspects from military dictatorships.

“I have my own military-democratic style which I will be implementing. When we say leave the space, and you don’t leave the space and I get there, and you’re not there and my boys are with me, there and there we will beat you."

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“In the middle of Adum, if I’m alone, you will be lucky, but if I’m with my 10 boys, in their pick-up with their whips, trust me, we will beat you. If you don’t want to experience that kind of situation; do what is right and lawful."

“This is Otumfuo’s city; this is the garden city of West Africa, and we have to preserve it. If you want the job to be difficult for me, I will let your body feel the difficulty you are giving to me."

Boadi was confirmed as the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly on April 10. When he was confirmed, he said the decongestion exercise would not involve the military.

He said the operation would be implemented using innovative approaches designed to maintain commercial activity while reclaiming public spaces.

The Ashanti Regional Communication Directorate of the New Patriotic Party criticised this directive from Boadi.

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Kwabena Yandoh, Ashanti regional Communication Director of the NPP, said to YEN.com.gh that the directive was disturbing and unconstitutional.

Kumasi mayor warning on stray animals

Boadi also wants to crack down on stray cattle in the metropolis. He warned that stray cattle would be seized and killed, and used to feed inmates at the Kumasi Central Prison starting from May 1.

He stressed that cattle roaming freely in the city was a bane of the city. The mayor also urged all herders to keep their animals out of the metropolis to avoid the severe consequences.

“There is another thing I will want you to help me look at. If you have cattle and if they stray in the vicinity of KMA, be assured that from May 1, they will be killed and given to Kumasi Central Prison for food. Especially the route from the airport through to Manhyia Palace."

“I cannot sit for visitors come to Kumasi [and] from the airport to Manhyia, and all they see is faecal matter from cattle.”

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Mahama's local government appointments so far

YEN.com.gh reported that 153 of the 261 local government heads were nominated by President John Mahama.

The President nominated the first batch of District Chief Executives for eight out of the 16 regions on March 26.

A second batch followed on April 5 but the government has not disclosed when the remainder would be made.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh