Okada provides honest jobs, it must be legalised – Kofi Bentil backs Mahama

IMANI Vice President, Kofi Bentil has backed calls for the legalisation of Okada in Ghana.

NDC flagbearer John Mahama has ignited the Okada conversation in the country with his promise to regularise the activities of the commercial bike riders if he wins the 2020 elections.

According to Mr Mahama, the operations of Okada has created more jobs for the youth than any of the recent job programs put together by the government.

“Why behave like the turkey and bury your head in the sand? This pragyas, Aboboyaa, okadas have created more jobs in this economy than any government job-related policy. It has created more jobs than NaBCo, YEA and all those artificial job creation programs.

“These young people live under harassment because it’s illegal and so the police stop them, they take money from them and so my suggestion is that why do we behave like the ostrich? Let us legalise it and let us regulate it, let’s make it safer,” Mr Mahama said in an interview Sunday.

Commenting on the development, Mr Bentil wrote on Facebook: “Okada business is a major source of honest employment for many people. A major service provider of choice in traffic locked Urban areas and underserved rural areas and elsewhere.

“If you are not prepared to legalize and properly regulate this important transport and economically viable sub-sector, then you are not prepared to run a nation like Ghana. Yes it is hard work but it must be done!!! Get serious and do the real work”.