Ashanti Region Is Not For Zuba- Trader Protests

One of the traders affected by the devastating fire that ravaged the Blue Light Market at Adum in Kumasi last month, has lashed out at the Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Richard Ofori- Agyeman Boadi, affectionately known as Kung Zuba.

Holding a placard with inscription, “Ashanti Region Region is not for Zuba,” the angry woman called on the KMA Mayor to render an unqualified apology to the traders at Adum for his infamous statement.

“I want King Zuba to know that Kumasi is not Obuasi where he was once an MCE, to make such an unfortunate statement. His statement is an insult and must come out to apologise,” the trader whose identity cannot be disclosed for the sake of persecution said.

It will be recalled that the Kumasi Mayor a fortnight ago during a press conference, made a controversial call for public flogging of recalcitrant traders and the slaughter of stray livestock, both part of what he describes as a “democratic-military style” of urban discipline and sanitation enforcement.

King Zuba announced that from April 24, traders who return to pavements or unauthorised areas in Kumasi’s Central Business District would be publicly caned.

His claim of assembling a team of 10 well-built men armed with rattan canes, tasked with patrolling the streets and executing the punishment without police involvement, received mixed reactions from the public, including some members of his own political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

“If anyone is caught trading in the middle of the road, they will be flogged publicly,” the Mayor declared. “When we say leave and you don’t, and my boys are with me—there and then—we will beat you.”

In an interview with the protestor, she stated, “we are not his children to flogged as he said. I believe she has a wife, children and sisters and I do not think he can speak so harsh to them like the way he spoke. He should remember it was Ghanaians that voted for the NDC to come back to power. Positions are not permanent and one day he will be just an ordinary person like any of us.”

Reason For the protest

The traders at the Blue Light arena came to work on Thursday to see the entrances to their enclave being barricaded with aluminium sheets, believed to have happened late last night.

Not enthused by the actions of the authorities, some traders mainly women, forcibly broke into the area to sell on the tables that they have made.

The actions of these women attracted over thirty armed military men in a separate four pick up vehicles to the scene to help the already armed policemen who were stationed there.

As soon as the market women saw the military presence, they marched few distance towards them amidst singing war songs.

However, the military stood calm watching them (traders) while they sang and retrieved back to where their tables are.

“We believe the KMA Mayor is behind this because of the statement he made last week, but we are assuring him thar we are not afraid of the security presence here. There is no war here so why bring the police and the military here, while our people in Bawku are suffering. We suggest they rather go to Bawku to help stop the fight there,” some of the traders were heard saying.

Meanwhile, about 2:45pm, the military left the scene, leaving the policemen around for a while before they (police) also left.