The General Secretary for the Motor Riders Association of Ghana, Majid Amadu, has hinted that the Association is ready to march to the office of the Vice President if the government keeps failing to fulfil its job creation promise to them.
Majid Amadu indicated that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP government are yet to fulfil their promise of job creation and improving the Okada business during the 2020 electoral campaign.
“After our meeting, we entreated the GPRTU to brace itself for what’s to come. We’re ready to march to the office of the Vice President because he promised he would transform the Okada business into car businesses and create jobs for us during his campaign. Unfortunately, we’ve not seen any improvement of his promise.”
Majid Amadu
Mr. Amadu disclosed that the Police Service has ruined ties between Okada drivers adding that Okada riders have now become the poor victims of the Police Service as they keep extorting them.
“Last month one of my brothers was arrested at Mallam for expired insurance. We were told he would be arraigned for court. We decided to plead to the heads of the station but the officer still ignored our plea. Afterwards, he called my brother to come for his motorbike at a fee of Ghc700”.
Majid Amadu
Mr. Amadu admonished the security services to repay their loyalty with respect in their dealings riders, to prevent any unexpected circumstance which may deteriorate the peace in the country.
The General Secretary further urged the government to redirect plans to ensure they act on their words.
Gov’t hasn’t done drivers a favor by removing road tolls
Commenting on the budget, Majid Amadu argued that the government has not done Ghanaians, especially drivers any favor by removing toll booths from public roads and bridges.
To him, the government has intentionally removed toll booths from the roads and plans to increase taxes in other areas to make up revenue being lost at tolling points.
“The elimination of toll booths from public roads and bridges will not benefit us. It is rather an advantage to government because it has realized not everyone travels on highways with toll booths, and if they want to make money from every Ghanaian driver, then this action has to be taken. The toll fees will be transferred to fuel cost because every driver buys fuel”.
Majid Amadu
Majid Amadu therefore projected that fuel prices may go up by 20 percent with the elimination of road tolls. He averred that no one should be happy because toll booths have been eliminated. He said,; “we will pay dearly for it. The government has realized drivers within Accra do not pay tolls and with this new directive, we will pay for tolls through fuel”.
According to him,;the driver unions and the motor riders association only want government to reduce fuel prices but it failed them at the budget presentation.
The scrapping of road tolls was announced in the 2022 budget statement;and economic policy presented by Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister before Parliament on Wednesday,;November 17, 2021.
