By Stanley Senya
Accra, April 21, GNA-The Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has condemned Mr. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (KMA) for his decision to flog traders, who flout the ban on trading on the pavements of the city.
The Network said his decision was a gross violation on human rights, an infringement on the rights to human dignity, and a disregard for the rule of law.
A statement issued in Accra by Akosua K. Darkwah (PhD), NETRIGHT Convenor and copied to the Ghana News Agency said
Ghana was a democratic country, governed by the 1992 Constitution and Chapter 5 of the Constitution clearly spelt out the human rights of every citizen of Ghana.
It said Section 15 (2a) stated categorically that no person whether arrested, restricted, detained or not shall be subject to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The statement said his remarks were unbefitting of a public office holder and needed to be condemned in no uncertain terms.
It said as a women’s rights organisation, “we are mindful of the impact of such abuse on families and the society at large and the fact that in these situations, women, a third of who work as traders in Ghana, will bear the brunt of the abuse,” it said.
It said they were deeply concerned that such actions by the KMA would curtail the democratic rights of the traders and create conditions for civil unrest in the country.
“We condemn in unequivocal terms the remarks by the MCE and express our displeasure with his failure to retract and apologise but rather restating on an Accra-based FM station that he was standing by his decision to flog traders who defy the ban,” it added.
It said his statement showed that he was not fit to hold public office.
The statement, therefore called on President John Dramani Mahama, to remove Mr. Boadi as the MCE for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
It also called on all Ghanaians to call for his removal from office as his statement was unacceptable.
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