By King Amoah
An urgent appeal has been made to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Mayor, Mr Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi (aka King Zuba), to immediately address the persistent power challenges plaguing the Dubai market and its surrounding areas.
Mr. Carlos Musa Awudu the outspoken Chairman and Spokesperson for the Kumasi Kajetia Mosque branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) indicated that the prolonged blackouts are contributing to a dangerous surge in armed robberies that makes life unbearable for traders.
Mr. Awudu highlighted a situation where after 6:00 pm the lack of adequate street lighting transforms the commercial zones into havens for criminals.
Armed robbers have in the recent past been making life unbearable with regards to stealing especially from 6:00 pm onwards on daily basis, he stated.
According to Chairman Musa areas where non functional streetlights are enabling robbers to have field day in their criminal activities include the stretch from Dr. Caesar road to the Dubai Market, the Ex mayor Sarpong Mosque area, the road linking to Kumasi Zoo and Suame, down to Bantama and the Children Hospital near Kumasi Pampaso.
Awudu indicated that while light poles are already installed in all the aforementioned locations the traders have inexplicably remained in the darkness for the past six months.
He expressed deep frustration that despite the KMA has been taxing traders on daily basis no effort has been made to fix the malfunctioning of the streetlights.
All the lights have gone off and no one cares to fix them Awudu lamented, emphasizing that traders lives are in constant danger after 6 pm when the areas become dark.
The NDC spokesperson also shared his personal pressure he is experiencing from the community.
Recalling his role in mobilizing votes for the NDC during the 2024 elections Mr. Awudu noted that constituents are now holding him accountable to ensure that the streetlights are restored to guarantee their safety and freedom from the criminals attacks.
My brother tension is overtaking me hence this urgent appeal to the Mayor for his quick intervention he confessed.
To witness the gravity of the situation, Chairman Musa extended a direct challenge to Mayor Zuba.
For any doubt of my claim I advise the Mayor to visit the aforementioned places after 6:00 pm to authenticate my charges, he insisted.
Apart from Chairman Musa’s appeal, seperate interviews carried out with the affected traders indicated a boiling point of frustrations.
They collectively insisted that they would soon raise the red flag against the Mayor if he fails to promptly solve their long standing street lighting problems,
..
