Madina MP promises to organise free WASSCE remedial for okada riders, kayayei

Member of Parliament for the Madina Constituency, Boniface Abubakar Saddique has promised to organize free West African Senior Certificate Examination (WASSCE) remedial classes for commercial motor riders and head porters, popularly referred to as ‘Kayayei’, in the Madina Constituency.

Hon. Saddique Boniface made this known in an interview with UniversNews after a Town Hall meeting at the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) on Tuesday.

The Madina MP indicated that arrangements have already been made with an institution for the roll-out of the intervention.

According to him, the move was needed to help persons who engage in such activities to further their education and gain more profitable employment.

Mr. Boniface said that most of such persons in the constituency have had Senior High School education but unable to further because they fell short in scoring the required grades to pursue higher education.

“Most of them [okada riders and kayayei] have gone to school, some are here because they did not perform well in their SHS and are coming to look for some job, get money and go and pay. I have arranged a place where people can easily go in for remedial classes. Anybody that wants to write a certain paper, I will engage the person to register with a particular school in Madina. I’m paying for that, for all the remedial classes. This is what will bring them out of the slavery of carrying people’s loads so that when they pass, they can also further,” he said.

Responding to the opposition National Democratic Congress on their promise to legalize the commercial operation of motorbikes, the Minister of State at the Office of the Vice President accused them of attempting to take advantage of persons who were already engaging in the business.

He said that the NDC, in seeking to secure the votes of commercial motor operators, is making it look an easy task for the venture to be legalized.

“NDC is saying this because it wants to take advantage of their vulnerability. You can’t just pass a law or an act like that. First of all, you need to delve deep and study the whole service. Before you do that, these people should be well trained. They should be well-identified, maybe by providing them with some clothing and special numbers such that anyone that sees them will give them the respect knowing that this is an okada rider and give him way because there’s a rivalry between taxis, tricycles, and motorbikes,” he said.

The MP, who says that he is concerned about the operation of commercial motor riders in the constituency, pledged to partner with the Ghana Police Service to provide some training for those in the constituency.

He also expressed his commitment to helping them secure their licenses.

“I have made the pledge to train them through the Police Service and help them secure their licenses. And also give them special and identified clothing so that anywhere they pass you will know that he is an okada rider. This is something we should take seriously in order not to be decided in the search for power.”