'We back Bawumia’s new plan for us' – Okada riders

Hundreds of Okada riders in Accra have thrown their weight behind Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s proposal to offer them a much safer means of livelihood, conceding that the Okada business comes unavoidably with a much higher risk.

According to the riders, they fully embrace the Vice President's plan for them, given that their choice to venture in Okada business is as a result of their inability to afford much safer livelihood alternatives.

The riders in thier numbers followed Dr Bawumia’s convoy during his recent Greater Accra Campaign tour.

On the streets of Kawukudi in Accra and other suburbs, they openly supported Dr Bawumia as he sought a second term for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has promised to legalise and regulate the Okada business.

Their proposal has been popular among some of the Okada riders but last week’s show of support for the Vice President who had proposed to replace their motorbikes with cars through a flexible loan scheme means that the Okada riders are divided on the matter.

“Oh. Okada is good but car business is safe. That one accident don’t happen like with okada. With okada, car can knock you any time. But car will be different. If I get car, I want it,” Inusah Musah, an Okada rider for four years revealed.

“What the NDC said is good but when are they going to create different roads for us. If they want to say it’s legal without new road or way, then it’s the same thing. The same risk. You can’t expand road at once,” Mensah Atta noted.

Several others who plunged the streets with their bikes to support Dr Bawumia, said that they were in favour of the NPP and their proposal.