Bantamahene Fires Stubborn Traders

THE BANTAMAHENE, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI has warned traders and transport unions who continue to trade at unapproved areas within the Kumasi metropolis to put an immediate end to their unlawful behavior that often causes congestion within the Ashanti Regional capital city.

He has stated that the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC), headed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is firmly behind the Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi’s firm decision to relocate the traders.

He expressed concern that the beauty of Kumasi had been lost mainly because of lawlessness such as mass trading at unapproved areas.  The Bantamahene therefore stressing the need for the recalcitrant traders to be relocated, immediately.

According to Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI, it is disheartening for a so-called political group to call for the sack of the Kumasi Mayor for taking bold steps to restore Kumasi to its past glory, a move which he claims the chiefs, including Otumfuo, fully supports.

“The group which is demanding for the sack of the Kumasi Mayor clearly are against the development of Kumasi, which Ose Assibey and his team are working tirelessly to achieve to better the lives of residents.

“This Kumasi Mayor has started a positive thing to relocate all the traders to help ease congestion and restore Kumasi’s beauty and the chiefs, led by our Overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, fully support the Mayor’s good works.

“From indications, the group that is calling for the sack of the mayor does not have the interest of the city at heart and they also do not want leadership in the city and that is bad”, the Bantamahene told newsmen in Kumasi.

Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI’s strong words were clearly in response to a call by the Concern NPP Youth Traders Association’s demand for the Kumasi Mayor to be sacked for allegedly destroying their jobs with the relocation exercise.

Baffuor Amankwatia, who has monitored the KMA’s relocation exercise with keen interest, stated that it is never true that the Kumasi Mayor is destroying businesses of the traders as the so-called NPP group alleged.

Contrary to their allegations, he said the Kumasi Mayor has provided spaces at the various satellite markets in the city including the Race Course for the traders, but the traders have failed to move to occupy those markets.

The powerful chief therefore stated that anybody that would accuse the Kumasi Mayor for destroying his/her job is peddling falsehood just to distract Hon. Osei Assibey from continuing with his positive works.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the chiefs in Kumasi, the Bantamahene declared, are in full support of Hon. Osei Assibey to relocate the traders and the transport unions to make Kumasi look beautiful once again.

He therefore noted that no amount of lies and pressure would prevent the KMA from carrying out its vision of restoring Kumasi’s lost Garden City status so the traders should take note and act appropriately.

By: Kwadwo Essel/ thePublisher