Suame Member of Parliament, John Darko, has expressed measured support for the new Mayor of Kumasi’s commitment to cleaning up the city. However, he has urged him to exercise restraint and adopt lawful methods for his mandate.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, Darko acknowledged the urgency of the mayor’s mission, which he believes stems from a genuine desire to transform Kumasi into a cleaner and more organized city.
However, he cautioned against overly aggressive tactics.
“Our city is in need of help – he mentioned that he wants to clean the city of Otumfuo. And I agree with him that our city needs to be cleaned up,” Darko said.
“I think that it was out of overzealousness. I think that he will be spoken to. I don’t know him personally and I haven’t seen him, but I think that the fire in him is good for Kumasi.”
He added that while the passion is commendable, the methods matter just as much. “Yes, maybe we should advise him—flogging people is not the way to go—but we should enforce the Local Government Act and the bye-laws of the Assembly and make sure that he is able to deliver on his mandate.”
Darko emphasized the need to take politics out of city management and give mayors the freedom to act decisively within the bounds of the law. “Let’s depoliticize these things and allow the mayors to work, and bring some sanity into our cities,” he urged.
He also had words for those rushing into the national spotlight, touching briefly on broader political commentary: “I think that they are too much in haste to be relevant, because of their micro nature. They are too much in haste to make themselves heard.”
