The Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, has vowed to unleash strict measures on traders who persist in selling along pavements in Adum.

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Addressing a press conference on Monday, April 14, the Mayor warned that he would deploy a “democratic military style” to deal with those who refuse to vacate the area with their wares.

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He has given the 'defiant' traders a two-week ultimatum to adhere to the directives and cooperate with the decongestion exercise led by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

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“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’re not lucky and my boys are with me, there and then, we will beat you,” the Mayor declared.

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According to the mayor, previous attempts to address the issue—such as seizing goods and arresting offenders—have proven ineffective, as traders continue to return to unauthorized areas, worsening congestion in the city’s central business district.

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Highlighting the impact on Kumasi’s identity, the Mayor stressed that the lawlessness displayed by traders blocking pavements is tarnishing the city's reputation as the “Garden City of West Africa.”

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“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,” he stated. “If you don’t want to experience that kind of situation, do what is right and lawful.”

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Describing the move as a civic obligation and an act of respect toward the Asante Kingdom, Mr. Boadi added, “This is Otumfuo’s city. We must preserve its beauty and order.”

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The operation is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 16.

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The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is expected to implement the exercise with force, and traders have been urged to relocate to designated spaces to avoid clashes.

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Reacting to the mayor's directive, the traders have expressed their dissatisfaction with the planned decongestion exercise, stating that their presence along the pavements is not by choice but rather a result of their current circumstances.

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They explained that a recent fire outbreak in the area had displaced many of them, forcing them to operate in unapproved spaces as a means of survival.

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The traders are therefore appealing to the Mayor for more time to relocate, preferably to the yet-to-be-completed Central Market.

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"We're on the streets because we have no place to go. Give us some time — we are the ones who voted for you. Provide us with a proper space; we are not animals to be whipped," they said.

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The blaze which broke out in the early hours of Friday, March 21, wreaked havoc on numerous shops and assets, leaving many traders to assess the extent of their damages.

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