Akosua Manu, a former parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is questioning why the government has remained silent in the wake of Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi’s threat to unleash his men on traders operating on pavements.
To her, the absence of an immediate response from the presidency is not only worrying but sets a tone of quiet approval for lawlessness within leadership.
“What I do not understand is that somebody put into a leadership role can stand in front of people to warn or threaten that physical assault will be a given. And I am shocked to hear that when he was called, he reiterated the position,” she said on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV.
Her concern, however, went beyond the mayor’s comments. It was the lack of swift action from the presidency that stood out most. She argued that in any serious administration, such a threat—let alone its repetition—should have warranted instant dismissal.
“He should have been the shortest-serving appointee in this government,” she stated bluntly. “Upon hearing that he had repeated physical assault as a likely punishment to deter hawkers, as soon as he said that, the President should have called the Chief of Staff to remove him from office.”
Manu highlighted what she sees as a growing tolerance for inappropriate conduct within public office. “For reiterating that point, I am saying by now if it was Nana Akufo Addo’s government, KMA Mayor would have been withdrawn, and a new person will be appointed. There is no justification for reiterating,” she insisted.
Her comments are a broader critique of a system that, according to her, has started turning a blind eye to inflammatory leadership. She warned that silence from the top risks creating a pattern that can easily be mimicked by other officials.
“If his boys will do the work, he should bear in mind that it has to be in a very civil way; it should be in a very humane way. Nobody should beat anyone,” she added.
Akosua Manu’s position highlights an often-overlooked angle in governance—accountability not just for what is said, but for what is allowed to go unchallenged.
