Kumasi’s new mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, clearly wants to make a strong impression, and he has. His passion to bring order to the city is understandable.
Anyone who has been to the central business district of Kumasi knows how chaotic the pavements and streets have been over the years. Traders have taken over walkways, leaving pedestrians to compete with cars on busy roads. It is unsafe, and undoubtedly, something needs to change.
But while the Mayor’s intention to restore order is welcome, his method, threatening to beat traders with whips is a step too far. It sends the wrong message and risks dragging our democracy backwards.
In a press conference, Mr. Boadi warned that traders who refuse to vacate pavements will be lashed. He even described a “military-democratic” style of leadership where he and “ten boys in a pick-up with whips” would enforce compliance by force. That is not discipline. That is intimidation.
Ghana has come a long way from its past. Older generations still remember the dark days of military rule, when public floggings were used to control people , especially women, for things as small as selling in the wrong place. We should never return to that.
Yes, enforcing the law is necessary. But it must be done within the law, not outside of it. Beating people is not part of any city bylaw. It is not justice. It is abuse. It is one thing to confiscate goods or issue fines. It is another to threaten physical harm.
Let it also be clear, it is not democracy that has made Ghanaians undisciplined. It is the way our laws are enforced; often inconsistently, sometimes selectively, and too often with political interference.
If we want to build a more disciplined society, we need to apply the law fairly and without favour, not resort to force.
Mr. Mayor, you do not need to beat people to get results. What you need is a clear plan, genuine community engagement, and consistent enforcement. Traders are not enemies; many are simply trying to earn a living in tough economic times. Work with them. Listen to them. Enforce the law, yes, but do it with humanity.
Kumasi deserves to be a clean and orderly city, but not at the cost of returning to fear and violence. The real strength of leadership is not in how loud or harsh it is but in how just and fair it remains when the pressure is on.
