Okada Business in Ashaiman Has Reduced Crime – MP

MP for Ashaiman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has said that the low record of armed robbery cases by the police in the municipality is as a result of the high rate of okada business within the area.

He challenged the Traffic Offences Act, L.I. 2180 which prohibits the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes.

According to the lawmaker, there is no law banning the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes.

Mr Norgbey, who is also a member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, said this in an interview with Class News, in response to proposals by the Ashaiman Divisional Commander of the Motor Traffic Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service asking parliament to promulgate laws that will permit the police to use motorbikes that are impounded for okada purposes, as a deterrent rather than placing a fine on them.

He said: “If you want to clamp down on okada riders, you have to create opportunities for the people. I maintain that the okada riding in Ashaiman can never be stopped, and I say this passionately.

“You cannot stop it while you don’t create any opportunity for the people. You want to increase the crime rate when you stop it, so, as the MP for the constituency, I’ll never support the Chief Executive or the Divisional Commander to say that they should stop okada riding.

“Let them work, regularise their operations, make sure they do what is required by law. As we speak, now there is no law banning okada riding in the community, I can tell you for a fact, there is no law.

“Why are we saying armed robbery has reduced in the municipality? It is because they have engaged themselves into doing something, it is because we have an increased rate of okada riding in the community.”