Member of Parliament for Adaklu Constituency, Kwame Governs Agbodza has take a swipe at the government over the latest pronouncement by the Vice President of Ghana that the New Patriotic Patrick government has no plans of legalizing motorcycles for commercial purposes popularly known as Okada.
According to Mr. Agbodza, the government’s earlier announcement through the Transport Ministry that it was engaging in consultative processes on the legalization of ‘Okada’ and the latest declaration by Dr. Mahumudu Bawuima is an indication that the government is in disarray.
The Adaklu MP believes members of the government are divided over the matter.
While claiming that the Vice President has decided to commit himself to his earlier stance against the legalization, which he said is contrary to the government’s official stance, Mr. Agbodza accused Dr. Bawumia of undermining the decision by cabinet to consult stakeholders on a possible legalization of ‘Okada’ operations.
“We are witnessing a government in a total disarray. This is a government that can’t gel together. The transport minister is taking a position from cabinet, implementing at his ministry. The Vice President is talking by himself on Filla FM in Tamale and decided that he is going to stick to his stance and that to undermine his minister. He is undermining government,” he said in an interview on Accra based Joy FM.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday announced at an event that the Akufo-Addo government will not legalize the commercial operations of motorcycles also known as ‘Okada’. Dr. Bawumia said government will instead provide an alternative that will facilitate individuals to purchase commercial vehicles that are being assembled in the country.
The Vice President’s pronouncement seems to contradict the transport ministry’s position that government is embarking on consultations for a possible revision of the law banning ‘Okada’ operations. The Ministry in a statement dated September 11, 2020 indicated that government will resume consultations it had already begun with various stakeholders on a possible legalization of ‘Okada’.
Reacting to the latest twist to the issue, the MP who is also the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee opined that the Vice President’s disclosure that the Akufo-Addo government will not legalize the operation of ‘Okada’ although the government has spent resources embarking on consultation which is yet to be completed amounts to financial loss to the state and government officials including the Vice President must be made to answer for the loss, he alleged, they have caused to the state.
“The letter from the transport Ministry suggests that government had invested colossal amount of money doing what they are calling consultation and that letter still tells us that the consultation is going to go ahead so if you hear the Vice President declaring today that they are not going to go ahead then does that suggest that government knew all along that they were not going to do it (legalize Okada) yet they were just wasting government money? I think somebody should have to be cited for woefully causing financial loss to the state and Vice President could be a candidate for that,” he said.
The debate on whether to legalize ‘Okada’ operations became topical following a by pledge by the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama to legalize the business should he win the 2020 elections. The former President had explained that the business has become a means of sustenance for unemployed young people and thus it was necessary to legalize it so as to create jobs. The NDC has since capture the legalization on its 2020 manifesto.
