The mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, has taken a step back from controversial remarks that drew public backlash after he threatened to use force against traders operating in unauthorised spaces across the city.
Boadi had earlier issued a stern two-week ultimatum to traders, especially those operating along medians and busy commercial zones like Adum.
Speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on the Asaase Breakfast Show, the mayor didn’t mince words: “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 said.
This shift in approach comes after civil society groups, legal practitioners, and a section of the public condemned his earlier comments as excessive and potentially harmful.
“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,” one legal analyst commented.
Initially, the mayor had threatened physical action, stating: “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.”
However, the tone changed, with Boadi now clarifying that enforcement efforts will focus on those operating on road medians rather than those on the pavements.
“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 explained.
