The National Democratic Congress has reacted to claims by the Minister of Transport that the government is already in consultation with stakeholders on the possible legalization of Okada, as it describes this move by the government as a knee-jerk reaction to NDC’s vision.
The Member of Parliament for the Adaklu Constituency in the Volta Region, Kwame Agbodza, speaking on the issues, told Happy FM’s Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: ” If they [NPP] bring it to parliament we will support it but it will never be their baby. It has always been the vision of the NDC”.
He noted that the ruling New Patriotic Party has never been in support of the legalization of Okada since 2017 and as such he believes it is a knee-jerk reaction to Mahama’s promise of legalizing Okada.
Since 2017, on the 8th of November 2017, that was one of the days that the Okada group came to parliament demanding that they should give them hearing so that they legalize Okada in this country.
After 2017, we had a series of meetings. At many of those meetings, the minster and the roads commission now the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) said that Okada is a dangerous business and that they were not going to legalize it.
In fact just the 30th or 31st of last month, there was a news headline which came out of NRSA which reads ‘Legalizing Okada is dangerous-NRSA to Mahama’.
The minister might have been doing consultation alright but the posture of government is that it is dangerous. Will the government come out and say that though the NRSA says it is dangerous they the government will still do it? “, he said.
“I have heard that they even wanted to call us for an emergency sitting to push the Okada Bill soon. But President Mahama will be happy if this happens because that is what he wants for the people in this country”.
The Adaklu Constituency MP restated his point when he said: “Don’t forget, Dr. Bawumia has already said that they are ready to provide better jobs than Okada in 2021. So Okada regularization is not necessary. Many stalwarts of the NPP have said that they are not going to do it. But why are they making a change?”
Transport Minister, Kwasi Ofori Asiamah, has said that the NPP government has begun stakeholder consultations to decide on whether to review the law banning the commercial use of motorcycles or implement it.
His statement comes after John Mahama in August promised his government will legalise the commercial operation of motorbikes popularly known as Okada if voted into power in 2021.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
