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Okada business has reduced crime, says Ashaiman MP

Ernest Henry Norgbey believes the okada business should be regulated, rather than outlawed.

The Ashaiman municipality is one of the areas where commercial motor riders are commonplace, with most of the youth involved.

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However, certain quarters are against the okada business with the view that it is aiding armed robbers in their operations.

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The Ashaiman Divisional Commander of the Motor Traffic Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service is also currently leading a charge to prohibit the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes.

But speaking on the subject, the MP for Ashaiman said it is not right to stop okada riders from operating in the municipality.

According to him, their operations should rather be regulated to ensure that they do what is required by law.

He further stated that the okada business has helped to reduce crime in the Ashaiman municipality by serving as job for the youth.

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“If you want to clump 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,” Mr. Norgbey, who is also a member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, told Accra-based Class FM.“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.”

He added: “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.”

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