Franklin Cudjoe, the President for policy Think Tank IMANI Africa, has also waded in on the raging debate on the legalization of OKADA business as was promised by former President John Dramani Mahama.
Franklin Cudjoe’s comment comes after the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said in his interaction with the people of Kpando that he will legalize the OKADA business if given power on December 7.
“I’ve been seeing young people who have finished school and they can’t find a job and, so, they are looking for something they can do and many of our young people are riding motorcycles and transporting people from place to place, and we call them Okada.”
“But in our law, it says Okada is illegal but Okada is a reality, it has come to stay, you can’t stop it, and, so, I’ve suggested and I say when we come into office, we will legalise Okada but we will regulate it,” Franklin Cudjoe added.
The former President while defending his stance said that “This is a service that has come to stay. Whether you legalize it or not you cannot stop it and so why behave like the ostrich and bury your head in the sand. These okadas have created more jobs in this economy than any government job-related policy. It has created more jobs than NABCo, it has created more jobs than YEA and all those artificial job creation programs”.
However, advocates of the governing New Patriotic Party has argued that OKADA business is not sustainable and safe, hence only lazy thinkers will think of using it as a means to fight the unemployment menace in the country.
But, Franklin Cudjoe, reacting to the raging debate, indicated that “Okada must be legalised to make it safe. This touches a lot of lives”.
Kofi Bentil, who is one of the Vice Presidents of the policy think tank, also expressed similar position and has said that any government that is not ready to regulate the activities of OKADA operators is not ready to govern because OKADA business provides honest employment.
