Kumasi Mayor justifies flogging threat: “Police too costly, I want results”

Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, has sparked public debate after defending his threat to flog traders who defy the city’s pavement trading ban.

Speaking on Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu, the Mayor insisted that traditional enforcement methods, especially using police, are expensive and ineffective.

Instead, he believes a tougher, direct approach is necessary to restore order in Kumasi’s congested Central Business District.

“Kumasi is engulfed in filth… I want to deal with it head-on,” he declared, stressing that the upcoming two-week decongestion exercise from April 16 is non-negotiable.

Boadi painted a dire picture of traders cooking and selling food on roadsides, undermining the city’s sanitation and aesthetics.

While refusing to say whether President Mahama endorsed his strategy, he urged critics to judge by outcomes, not methods.

He added that the ultimate goal is to transform Kumasi into a clean, organized, and investment-ready city that fosters sustainable economic growth.