Flogging comment: Kumasi Mayor makes U-turn, now vows legal action against defiant traders
The shift in tone comes amid growing scrutiny of the Mayor's hardline approach to city enforcement
The Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, has backed away from his earlier threat to use force against traders who flout city bylaws.
Boadi faced backlash after he issued a two-week ultimatum to all traders operating on unauthorized spaces in Adum and other commercial areas, warning that those who defy the directive will face immediate action — including beatings.
Speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (16 April), the Mayor admitted that “People didn’t like the bit where I said if you make things difficult for me, I’ll make things difficult for you too.”
“I have been advised severally, and I want to go by the advice. People want us to punish them in a particular manner—taking them to court—and where necessary, we will jail some of them,” he stated.
The enforcement efforts will now focus on traders operating on road medians, rather than those on pavements.
The Mayor indicated that future action will be guided by expert consultations to ensure a smooth and structured relocation to designated markets.
“I am not going to be dealing with those on the pavements. We are dealing with those on the median. Subsequently, I will find time with technical people, get the technical advice so that we will move people to the Racecourse and other satellite markets,” he stated.
The shift in tone comes amid growing scrutiny of the Mayor’s hardline approach to city enforcement.
The Minority Caucus is demanding urgent action from the Minister for Local Government describing the Mayor’s intended action as “reckless and “dangerous”.
“These remarks are not only reckless, but also risk undermining public confidence in local authorities and may expose the Assembly to potential human rights violations,” the statement signed by Bantama MP, Francis Asenso-Boakye, said.
“Violence, threats of physical abuse, and the use of fear as a governance tool are unacceptable in any form and have no place in a constitutional democracy like ours,” the MPs asserted.
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