The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has defended his “go and sell cocaine” comments to traders at the Suame roundabout.

The Regional Minister made the contentious comment whilst speaking at the ‘Keep Kumasi Clean and Green Campaign in Kumasi recently.

The Minister was angered after several attempts to get the traders move away from the roundabout had been met with resistance with their leadership rallying them to vote out the governing New Patriotic party (NPP).

“When we start enforcing the laws, people will be complaining of hardship. If there is hardship, then I will ask that you stop the business and go and sell cocaine for a living,” he stated.

Defending his comments in an interview with Starr News, Mr Osei Mensa said he was forced to make those comments because of the growing spate of indiscipline among a section of residents in the Ashanti region.

“Most of the problems we are having in Ghana, not only in the Ashanti Region is indiscipline and people flout the laws left and right and anybody who wants to apply sanctions is seen as a bad person,” he told Starr News.

The KMA, he said, will not relent on its resolve to keep the city clean assuring, however, that it will be done in a fair manner.