Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) operates a Traffic Unit, known as the Metropolitan Guards. This unit plays a crucial role in enforcing AMA bye-laws, directing traffic at key points, and assisting the police with traffic control, ensuring compliance, and assisting in revenue mobilization. The Metropolitan Guards are often perceived as more assertive in enforcing regulations. Their proactive approach can lead to a perception of strictness, especially when compared to the Ghana Police Service’s Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD), which has faced criticism for inconsistent enforcement and alleged corruption.
The Tamale Metropolis is facing a growing public safety crisis. The city’s roads — meant to be arteries of life and movement — are becoming scenes of frequent accidents, injuries, and deaths. The culprits? Reckless motorcycle and tricycle riding, often by young people who show little regard for human life or traffic regulations. This crisis is no longer a matter of isolated incidents. It is a pattern, and it demands urgent intervention.
Tamale is a city with a predominantly Muslim population, and it is concerning how many fatal and non-fatal accidents are casually dismissed with the words, “It is the will of Allah.” While faith teaches us that nothing occurs without Allah’s decree, Islam also emphasizes human responsibility and accountability.
The Qur’an clearly states, “And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. And whoever is killed unjustly — We have given his heir authority…” — Surah Al-Isra (17:33)
And again: “Whoever kills a believer by mistake must free a believing slave and pay compensation to the deceased’s family unless they remit it as charity.”
— Surah An-Nisa (4:92)
These verses point to a deeper truth: Islam demands justice. It recognizes the right of victims or their families to demand compensation, known as diyah, and mandates restitution even in cases of accidental harm. This is not just about making amends — it is about deterrence, responsibility, and the protection of life.
In contemporary Saudi Arabia, while the symbolic basis of diyah remains tied to the value of 100 camels (80 she-camels + 20 bulls), the compensation is now standardized in monetary terms. As of 2011, the Saudi government set the diyah at SR300,000 (approximately $80,000) for accidental deaths and SR400,000 (approximately $106,666) for premeditated murders. These amounts were adjusted in response to the rising market prices of camels, which historically influenced the value of diyah.
Yet in Tamale, when someone dies or is injured in a motorcycle crash, the response is often disappointing. Chiefs, clerics, politicians, and opinion leaders are quick to intervene — not to demand accountability, but to “settle” the issue quietly. The result is a lack of consequences, emboldening the next reckless rider to take to the road without fear of punishment. Meantime, the reckless riders goes scot-free, leaving the injured to take care of any wounds, and still repair his motorcycle. Not once, these accidents have led to permanent disability, pain and suffering, and sudden loss of family breadwinners.
This culture of impunity must change. The people of Tamale, call on the new Mayor of Tamale, Hon. Abu Takoro and the Metropolitan Assembly to take decisive action by:
Developing a comprehensive Road Use Code of Conduct for motorcycles and tricycles. Instituting mandatory road safety education for all riders. Establishing a compensation framework for victims of road negligence. Enforcing strict penalties for repeat offenders and reckless behavior. Working with religious and traditional leaders to promote justice, not excuse wrongdoing. Most importantly, re-establishing the Metropolitan Guards Unit, and ensuring they are properly oriented and highly professional.
Islam does not teach passivity in the face of injustice. It teaches society to protect life, ensure fairness, and correct wrongdoing. If the people of Tamale continue to turn a blind eye to this problem, the entire populace are not only failing as a city — they are all failing in their duty to Allah. The time for silence is over. Let Tamale lead with faith, law, and courage. Let both authorities and the good people of Tamale make all roads safe again — for everyone!
This piece cannot be complete without mentioning the traders who have taken all the pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes. The decongestion of the Central Business District in Accra is in progress, Tamale can also emulate this laudable move. Only Allah knows what will happen if a vehicle plying the CBD – Aboabo Market stretch veers off its course. And the two questions many want answers to are:
Why can’t the tricycles in the Central Business District be controlled? Why should portions of some roads be used as car and motorcycle parking lots?
Onetime Mayor, Hon. Musah Superior made a notable impact with his swift but short-lived transformation of Tamale drive. With the same spirit of dedication, it is hoped that the new mayor, Hon. Abu Takoro, will build on that momentum and achieve even greater and longer lasting results.
Fuseini Abdulai Braimah
0550558008 / 0208282575
[email protected]
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