A former Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly has called for the election of city mayors as a way of ensuring effective decision making in the management of cities without any political interference.

Mr. Nat Nunoo Amarteifio says such a move will enable city mayors take drastic steps aimed at solving some of the most endemic problems cities across the country are confronted with.

“It’s time that we elect our city mayors so that they have credibility. So long as they are not elected and they are nominated, people can blackmail them by insinuating that since their party came to power, they are being victimised,” he emphasized.

He was speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, on the disturbing development of hawkers and vendors taking over walkways and public pavements, and the creation of unauthorized taxi and trotro stations in busy cities of Ghana such as Accra, Kumasi, Tamale among others.

Vice President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, who was a panellist on the programme agreed with the proposal.

Kofi Bentil believes “it ultimately comes down to leadership and leaders always look at the source of their power and do what the people who conferred power on them want. So if the source of the power of the city mayor is the president who is the head of a political party that is looking for victory in the next election, he [the mayor] is going to do things to please him [the president]”.

Meanwhile Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu has promised to decongest the city in due time.

According to him, orders have been given for leaders of the various transport unions operating from unauthorised locations to relocate or face ejection.

He told Super Morning Show co-host Bernard Nasara Saibu “we are going to take over and push them back especially those people who sell mobile telephones over cars. The roads are not for mobile telephone sales or businesses. We are going to deal with them.”

Kojo Bonsu concedes politics makes decongesting major cities such as Kumasi difficult but promised to take drastic steps to deal with the situation.