A lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Ishaq, has cautioned that Hon. Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Boss, may be setting himself up for failure in his efforts to tackle congestion in the city.
According to Dr. Ishaq, the KMA boss’s attempts to address the issue may be overly ambitious.
The congestion in Kumasi, particularly in areas like Adum, has been a persistent problem. Dr. Ishaq attributes this to market vendors selling goods on pavements despite having stores, which he describes as an act of indiscipline.
“It’s true, there’s a law against indiscipline and chaos,” he emphasizes, suggesting that enforcing this law could help alleviate the congestion, but not with the approach suggestion by the KMA Boss.
This comes after the mayor had issued a firm directive prohibiting traders from selling on pavements and roads within the Central Business District, warning that those who refuse to comply will face severe repercussions, including physical discipline.
“I have my own military-democratic style which I will be implementing. When we say leave the space, and you don’t leave the space, and I get there with my boys, we will beat you. In the middle of Adum, if I’m alone, you will be lucky, but if I’m with my ten boys, in their pick-up with their whips, trust me, we will beat you. If you don’t want to experience that kind of situation, do what is right and lawful”, he said.
“The complexity of the issue and the need for a comprehensive approach to address the city’s congestion problems is what the KMA Boss should be looking at and not with physical discipline. Managing this situation is not the same as the way he sits on radio to talk”, he said.