Former President and Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that motorcycles will be acquired by his administration to aid the activities of ‘Okada’ riders once he wins the December polls.
This move reinforces the party’s position to legalize the trades as part of its long list of promises in its manifesto.
Mr. Mahama backed his legalization promise up with the declaration that the future NDC government will play an integral role in the procurement of the bikes through various financing modules such as hire purchase.
“We will buy some of the motorbikes so that you will take them on hire purchase. This means you will pay the amount in installments. When you are done with the payment, you will now own it fully”.
The former president’s position on regularizing the business has come under heavy scrutiny from opposition NPP government and other stakeholders.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who had earlier rehashed the NPP government’s defiance in not bulking under the pressure of legalizing the business proposed alternatives to the venture.
“Their [Okada riders] problem will be the lack of capital but if they [Transport Sector Recapitalization Project] bring in new leasing policies and we have our national ID card with our digital addresses and so on, we can have a credit system working and give you an option other than this risky venture”.
However, his suggestion was shot down by the Ghana Okada Association who deemed it nearly impossible to implement.
We are witnessing a government in total disarray- Agbodza
Meanwhile, Minority Spokesperson on Parliament’s Transport Committee, Kwame Agbodza Governs, has described the NPP government position on the matter as a display of a confused government.
“We are witnessing a government in total disarray. The left doesn’t know what the right is doing”.
According to him, the Akufo-Addo-led administration is confused about what to do with the trade which is gradually catching on with a section of the Ghanaian public.
“This is a government that cannot gel together. The Transport Minister is taking a position from Cabinet and implementing it at the Ministry. The Vice President is also talking by himself at Fila FM in Tamale and decided that he is going to stick to his guns and undermine his minister?”
The MP wants government to be cited for causing financial loss to the state if it indeed began consultations having in mind that it would not follow it through with legalization.
“If you hear the Vice President declaring today that they are not going to do it, then does that suggest that government knew all along that they were not going to do it? Yet they were just wasting money. I think somebody in the future may have to be cited for woefully causing woeful financial loss of the state and the Vice President could be a candidate for that”.
