The Minority Caucus in Parliament is demanding action against Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi over his threat to publicly flog traders who refuse to vacate unauthorized trading zones. The planned two-week decongestion exercise has sparked widespread public outrage, with many calling for the mayor to retract his statement and issue an unqualified apology.
Francis Asenso-Boakye, ranking member of the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, described the mayor’s comments as reckless and a threat to democratic governance. “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,” he said. The Minority Caucus has called on Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Ahmed Ibrahim, to intervene immediately.
However, Mayor Boadi insists that his threat is necessary to restore order and enforce discipline. “I don’t believe in using the police for decongestion because I will spend so much on them, and after that, we will get back to the status quo,” he said. “Those in the middle of the road, some of them are cooking, selling all manner of food, it’s not attractive, I want to deal with it head-on. Kumasi is engulfed with so much filth, and I want to deal with it head-on.”
The Minority Caucus wants the minister to impress upon the mayor the need to retract his comments and adopt a more lawful, respectful, and humane approach to enforcement. Asenso-Boakye emphasized that the mayor’s remarks risk undermining public confidence in local authorities and may expose the Assembly to potential human rights violations.
