RECONSIDER THE OKADA BAN

A call has been made to the government to reconsider the ban made for the commercial use of motorbikes countrywide (popularly known as Okada) with the coming into effect of the law passed by parliament. Enock Akabutu, a young I.C.T expert at Ada-Foah in the Dangme East district who spoke to the Ghana Palaver, intimated that plans should rather be put in place to regularize the okada operators because of the immense services they provide the public. If they (okada riders) are registered and made to pay daily taxes to the assemblies, like the transport operators do, so much revenue could be accrued from them to help in financing of development projects, he opined. He pointed out that a good number of the youth have gained employment through the motorbike business, which in effect was augmenting transportation especially in the rural areas. Many towns and villages are far away from the main roads, and it is these okadas that carry people to their homes along the feeder roads, he said adding without the commercial motorbikes these people will have to walk all those long distances before getting to their destinations. He also stated that apart from the motorbikes serving as a form of transport to many people and as employment for some youth, it is also generating a level of business for others who trade in the parts and the repair of these motorbikes. I dont want to imagine the number of people who will be rendered unemployed by this ban, he said. Enock is of the opinion that the ban will make the okada drivers resort to unorthodox methods in their operations which could have unimagined consequences for all of us. The youth who mostly ply this motorbike business could slide into social vices like armed robbery, drug peddling and internet fraud to mention but a few which of course, will be detrimental to our social cohesion. Above all, he warned that the ban could cost the government vital votes since the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) might promise the lifting of the ban should they be voted into power. And counting the number of youth involved in this business, it will be a huge advantage in their favour. Government should look at the wider implications of the ban, he concluded.