Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister has justified his harsh response to a petition brought to his office by some school feeding caterers in the region.
He said the caterers had no business demonstrating at his office without any police approval hence he was right to verbally abuse them.
Speaking in a interview on Onua FM, Mr. Mensah said the caterers engaged in an illegality by not securing a police permit for the demonstration.
“You cannot demonstrate without informing the police. What they did was illegal, they didn’t even inform the police.
“You don’t just wake up like that and then you rise with noise to the Regional Coordinating Council. Is that what we do?
“Do you use illegality to solve your problems? Is that what you are saying… I don’t allow illegality in the system, no matter who you are,” he said in twi.
A viral video earlier this week showed the regional minister screaming at the caterers when he could no longer bear their complaints about the amount paid for the meals they provide to Junior High School students.
Simon Osei-Mensah could be seen in the video urging the caterers to stop making noise at the premises of the Ashanti Regional Secretariat.
He told them to present their petition and leave.
The women, who were not happy with his comments, started shouting at him.
The minister, clearly angered by the women raising their voices at him, threw his hands at them and left them unattended at the regional secretariat.
Pulse
