No law supports flogging of defiant traders – Simon Osei-Mensah

Former Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has criticized Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi. Boadi threatened to flog traders who violate the city's ban on pavement trading. He announced a two-week decongestion exercise starting on April 16, 2025. This exercise targets traders in unauthorized areas of Kumasi's central business district.

Boadi warned that defying the directive would lead to corporal punishment. “If I have my 10 boys with me and their whips, we will beat you,” he declared. In response, Mr. Osei-Mensah denounced the mayor’s approach. He stated that Ghanaian law does not allow flogging as enforcement.

“There’s no law supporting it,” he said during an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu. He urged authorities to find humane alternatives for street trading issues. This could include providing designated areas for vendors instead of resorting to threats and violence.

When asked if he would have acted similarly while in office, Mr. Osei-Mensah firmly replied, “No.” This clearly shows his disapproval of the mayor’s tactics.