Okada Legalization: Stop the deceit and give a better alternative - GPRTU Chairman fires Mahama

A Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) Mr. Albert Boamah has charged the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama to stop deceiving Okada Riders with a promise of legalization their operations.

Former President John Mahama has promised that his next government will legalise the commercial operation of motorbikes popularly known as Okada when voted into power in the 2020 polls.

According to him, the Okada business has become a means of sustenance for young people who are unemployed in the country.

But the Sofoline GPRTU Chairman Mr. Albert Boamah speaking on Ambassador Community Project hosted by Pure FM’s Osei Kwadwo said legalization promise by John Dramani Mahama is unachievable.

According to Albert Boamah, the factors that made the Mahama led NDC administration to enact the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, (L.I. 2180) to ban the operations of the Okada business have not changed as people were still dying and sustaining various degrees of injuries.

“Those who gave John Dramani Mahama the advice to promise legalization of Okada business are against his second coming. Though he (John Dramani Mahama) is saying it for votes but the legalization of Okada business promise will never give him victory in the December 7 general elections” Albert Boamah said.

He added that Okada operation is a risky business while the Okada operators’ ride dangerously putting their lives and that of their passengers and pedestrians into danger.

“Okada riders don’t respect traffic regulations and signals on our roads. They drive anyhow on our roads and hardly respect traffic signals. Legalizing it means Ghana needs more mortuaries to preserve dead bodies,” he added.