John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has once again promised to make the operations of commercial motorbike riders, known as “Okada,” legal if he wins the 2024 general elections.
Speaking to motor riders in Ashaiman on Friday, May 31, 2024, Mr. Mahama said that the NDC has included the legalization of Okada activities in their 2024 manifesto. He criticized the current government for not keeping its promise to replace motorbikes with cars.
“We have in our manifesto that we will legalize ‘Okada,’ but we lost the elections and so that promise was not fulfilled. Our opponents objected to it claiming okada activities if operationalized will cause accidents,” he said.
“They instead promised to take your motorbikes and replace them with cars. Is that not what you were promised? Have you received the cars? It turned 419, we all know that this government is only good at telling lies.”
Mr. Mahama declared that if he is sworn in as President on January 7, 2025, the door to Okada riders’ freedom will be opened. He also talked about how the unemployment rate has gone up since he left office in 2016.
“The unemployment rate was 8.5% when I left office in 2016, now it’s 14.7% under Akufo-Addo-Bawumia’s government. If you were not engaged in okada business, the over 1.7 million something engaged in okada, would have been part of the unemployed, if your business was abolished, the unemployment rate would have jumped higher to 25%,” he said.
He assured the riders that when the NDC comes to power, they will legalize and regulate Okada business for safety and security. The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) will train riders on how to ride safely in the regions.
Mr. Mahama urged motorbike riders to follow the rules that will be put in place under the next NDC government. He also promised to help those who don’t have a license to get one.
