Mahama wants to legalize ‘okada’ because of votes – Yofi Grant

Yofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), says John Dramani Mahama is desperate for power, hence his recent campaign promise to legalise commercial passenger motorcycle riders.

The practice is popularly called okada, a Nigerian lingo Ghanaians have come to love.

Yoofi Grant told Citi News that he was surprised how Mahama under his administration made commercialization of okada illegal and now wants to compromise the safety of Ghanaians to score cheap political points.

The GIPC boss averred that the opposition flagbearer is not committed to his promise because it is only a calculated attempt to amass votes.

“The okada riders have so soon forgotten that it was the same [NDC administration] that banned okada. It is amazing he [John Mahama] is saying this for votes. We are against the blatant disregard of the rules and regulations in the sector. Many doctors have said that we should ban okada because it is creating more disaster. I get sad when I see a young man who gets involved in an accident. People are already using okada but John Mahama banned them so why didn’t he arrest all of them when he was leaving office? Is it now that he has realized the need for them to be legalized?” he quizzed.

John Dramani Mahama on one of his campaign tours, recently, stated that the rationale behind the legalisation of okada is because many families depend on it and okada actually reduces the unemployment situation facing the country.

Critics have described this campaign promise as dangerous given the number of injuries and deaths caused through the recklessness of okada riders, but supporters of the idea have said that it is rather regulation that will make commercial passenger motorbike riding safe.