Akosua Manu a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Adentan has boldly stated President John Dramani Mahama should have sacked the Kumasi Metropolitan Mayor immediately after he made his statement on flogging traders.
According to Akosua Manu, she was shocked to hear the KMA Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi boldly reiterate his comments.
She asserted that Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi should have been the shortest-serving appointee under the Mahama government.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Akosua Manu stated, “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, expressing disbelief over the mayor’s unapologetic stance.
“He should have been the shortest-serving appointee in this government. 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”. She added.
Akosua Manu further claimed under Akufo Addo the KMA Mayor would have been sacked.
She stressed, “For reiterating that point, I am saying by now if it was Nana Akufo Addo’s government, KMA Mayor would have been withdrawn, and a new person will be appointed.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”.
“He is creating an avenue for chaos. This template let’s say, he does it, Accra Mayor will also follow, then Tamale. 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.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International Ghana has also tackled Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi’s over his decision to flog traders.
According to Amnesty International Ghana, the traders are Ghanaians trying to survive and deserve dignity, not lashes.
Speaking on Joy FM Samuel Nyantakyi, a spokesperson for Amnesty International Ghana stated, “We find the Mayor’s remarks highly irresponsible. Threatening to unleash men to flog traders is not just unlawful—it flies in the face of human rights and democratic governance”.
“There’s nothing democratic about violence or threats of it. These traders are not criminals. They are victims of years of poor planning and political inaction”, he added.
He added, “We understand the need to keep the city orderly, but enforcement must be humane and legal. What we expect from leadership is solutions, not intimidation. These are Ghanaians trying to survive. They deserve dignity, not lashes”.
