We’ll hold you to account – Okada Riders to Mahama

The Okada Riders Association of Ghana (ORAG) has said it will hold former President John Mahama’s “feet to the fire” to fulfil his promise of legalizing the use of motorcycles for commercial transportation purposes if he wins the 7 December 2020 polls.

ORAG made the comment in a statement issued on Tuesday, 8 September 2020.

Mr Mahama the campaign promise a few weeks ago and reiterated it during the 2020 manifesto launch of the National Democratic Congress on Monday, 7 September 2020 at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

ORAG said it had taken notice of “the official documentation of the promise by the party, through its flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama, to legalize and regulate the use of motorcycles and tricycles for commercial use on page 93 of what they call the People’s Manifesto.”

According to ORAG, the documentation of the promise comes to it not only as “refreshing news but a breakthrough in the age-long advocacy for our operations to be legalized and regulated.”

It continued: “If there were any time that our call was heeded, then it was when we made a passionate appeal to the NDC’s manifesto committee to reconsider the law their government passed in 2012 to ban our activities.

“Democracy wins when the aspirations of people form the fulcrum around which policymakers craft their intended policies and implement same to address the teething challenges in society.

“This is exactly what the NDC’s People’s Manifesto has done and we are most grateful for that.”

ORAG added: “There is no commercial motorcycle and tricycle rider in Ghana today who does not wish to go about his/her business without police harassment”, noting: “We made a general call and John Mahama has responded to it in the affirmative.”

It emphasized that while the association is grateful to Mr Mahama for listening to them and considering its plight in the NDC’s manifesto, it wants “to put on record” that it “will hold his feet to the fire when the good people of Ghana grant him victory in the December elections.”

ORAG said “the days where political promises were made just to win votes and the opposite is done when victory is delivered, no longer has a place in our governance structure.”

The group added: “The Association will, within the week, address a news conference to make public our position on the upcoming elections and the role our members will play in the campaign”.

“We once again want to remind the other political Parties that the deadline for our one-week ultimatum for them to make public their stance on the legalisation and regulation of Okada is fast approaching.

“Once again, we commend the NDC and John Mahama for taking the lead in officially making the party’s position on the matter known”.