Over five hundred commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okada, this morning stormed the premises of Accra based radio station, Class FM, to express their appreciation to the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama for promising in his manifesto to legalize and regulate their activities.
According to the Okada riders, since the former President made the promise, they have been looking for an opportunity to officially thank him for considering their plight in the NDC’s manifesto.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of Mr Mahama’s Class Fm engagement, National President of Okada Riders Association of Ghana, Micheal Kofi Owusu, said, but for the NDC flag bearer’s manifesto pledge, their age-long advocacy to get their activities legalized would not have generated much discussion.
“For us we know you own this promise and we believe you’ll do it for us when elected. If someone steals your idea and implement it, we know you are the one who did it. If you had not made this promise, nobody will be talking about it. We’ve suffered for long and we think this is the time for us to gain our Independence. We can only say thank you and pledge our support to help you come to power,” he stated.
On his part, the NDC flagbearer thanked the Okada riders for the love shown him and advised them to adhere to traffic regulations.
He said, though commercial use of motorcycles is presently outlawed in Ghana, it has become a source of employment for many, therefore the best approach to dealing with the situation is to legalize and regulate its use.
By: Mina Ekua Hayford / awakenewsroom.com