Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Richard Ofori Boadi Agyemang alias King Zuba, has told a news conference that he has officially approved the physical assault and beating-up of traders who would continue to sell on the streets pavements meant for pedestrians in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
King Zuba said the flogging of grown-up traders, some old enough to be his parents, is called “democratic-military style” and he would need the support of journalists, especially broadcast journalists, when it becomes operational after a two-week ultimatum to Kumasi traders to vacate the pavements and move into the markets.
King Zuba, barely a week ago, was confirmed by an overwhelming majority as Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the KMA and his intention of using a “democratic-military style” including corporal punishment to ensure that persons within the KMA enclave respect the Assembly byelaws has sparked a mixed reaction.
The Kumasi Mayor was categorical that it would be a waste of time and resources to reports to the police, traders who fall foul of the KMA byelaws of street hawking.
Rather, he would supervise his “boys” to grab such law breakers and physically give them up to ten lashes in the full glare of the public.
King Zuba explained himself:
“As for me, I don’t like reporting too many things to the Police. I don’t want a situation whereby we would put in place a police team, we go and arrest people and then they go to the police station and they find their own means and they are back on the streets.
“That would be a waste of time and resources for me so I have my own democratic-military style which I will be implementing.
“When we say leave this space and you don’t leave this space and I get there and you are not lucky and my boys are with me, there and then, we would beat you – there in the middle of Adum
“If I am alone, you would be lucky but if I am there and my ten boys are in their pick up are with me and with their whips, trust me, we would beat you.
“If you don’t want to experience that kind of situation, do that which is right and which is lawful.
“This of Otumfuo’s city; this is the Asantehene’s city; this is the Garden City of West Africa. We have to preserve its image and I am here to work to satisfy the city for Otumfuo and I want to ensure that this city looks like Otumfuo’s city.
“And when we talk to you and we implore on you to adhere to that which we all do and we can all have peace and you want to let the job become difficult for me, I would let your body feel the difficulty that you are giving to me.
“So when it gets to that period, please don’t sit on your radio station and say this man is ‘basabasa’, he is ‘byheart’ he is lawless please.
“It is all aimed at making sure that we would have a disciplined city we have a sanitized city and we have the kind of Kumasi that we would be proud of.
“If you were to go to Accra, and drive through Cantonments, therough the Airport area, you go through Ridge, you go through Djorwulu and you see all those things and you come to Kumasi, you will get angry and I don’t want to continue in that situation so please when we begin to discipline people, bare with us.
“So start advising them that when the guys say leave the middle of the road, leave before he gets there and I am saying that the time period that I am giving, from Wednesday, don’t come. We would just start sweeping. Next week Wednesday will be the last day and from Thursday next week, when we get there and you are still there we will beat you.
“I will not destroy your wares, I will not seize them, I won’t report you to the police station, we will catch you here and if it is ten lashes that you deserve, we would give it to you there and then.
“I wish we do not get there. I wish people do not push me to that level but if you push me there, you will feel it there. So I am begging of you, please help us. Let’s make Kumasi work, let’s make this beautiful city get back to its glory.
“Look at the kind of airport that we have; beautiful facility, beautiful edifice. What are we doing to encourage people to use it? We need to set the right tone for people to want to come to Kumasi. So I am begging you to help me, support me and let’s get the job done.
The newly elected Mayor of Kumasi also warned that as part of his plans to restore the glory of the City of Kumasi, all stray animals would be slaughtered and fed to prison inmates without contacting the owners.
“There is another thing I will want you to help me look at. If you have cattle and if they stray in the vicinity of KMA, be assured that from May 1st, they will be killed and given to Kumasi Central Prison for food. Especially the route from the airport through to Manhyia Palace.
“I cannot sit for visitors come to Kumasi [and] from the airport to Manhyia, and all they see are faecal matter from cattle.”
