27/08/2020
I haven't gotten the chance to read all the contents in the 1992 constitution of the republic of Ghana. But as a Ghanaian, I have always say that Ghana does not need many laws to back every sector but rather enforce the already laws in the constitution. We hear from our parliament house almost each and every day, bills being passed into laws and with these laws we hardly see to their effects in the society. So many laws, since I started following parliamentary proceedings, yet we are not enforcing most of these laws to their effectiveness. Now the debate on our various media platforms are mostly on the legalisation of the OKADA statement made by His excellency John Dramani Mahama, the former president. Now our politicians, the citizenry, the civil society organisations, etc are of different views as to legalise the okada or not. I have these few questions to ask; 1. Since the okada business isn't legalised in our country why is it rampant on the streets? 2. Whose duty is to punish offenders of the okada business? 3. Why are the police not bringing these offenders to book? Before the legalisation, common sense have already legalised the Okada business, so why then are we wanting to constitutionally legalise okada. Sometimes I listen to some of the debates from people who are not greatly benefitting from the okada business laughing at the former president for making that statement, I just laugh off and say Ghana is a free country. I come from a place where the okada business is the highest form of transport system, Jedua Kesse in the Amenfi Central district. 80% of the people in the above district use okada for transportation. From Agona Amenfi to Jedua, Agona Camp to Bonsie, Bonsie to Kwaku Boa from Agona to Ankasie, from Adjakaa Manso to Nso Nyame y3, from Manso Amenfi to Obeng, from Obeng to Amuni, Amuni to Anakum etc. Cars travelling to these places are always active on market days with poor road connections so aside market days you will have to resort to the Okada for your travels. I have friends who are also teaching in rural areas who suffer same in their travels. A friend who was posted to Dompa a village in Bosome Freho district had to suffer this difficulty in his travels. Moving from Konongo to beposo is just a cool car travel but from Beposo to Dompa is a hell to travel without motor. It's the okada that he always resort to whenever he gets to Beposo because you won't get a car going to Dompa from Beposo. I once visited a boarder town in the Bono region called Kokosua number one and two, and it was a hell travel from Drobo to the town. All these places I have visited are purely an okada zone areas. So should these people wait for the okada to be legalised before they travel? The answer is a simple No. Common sense overrules the law. And if you are a policeman and you are in this area and get the nerves to arrest an okada man because okada isn't a legalised business in Ghana then I think the dead plant will be useful. And the Judge who will sentence this okada man is just a wasted s***m. What about the politician whose inaction has led to such developments condemning the legislation of okada? Truth be told, Whether Okada is legalised or not legalized some people out there in these places and other related villages that I couldn't mentioned use okada to travel daily. We see videos on news where pregnant and dying individuals are being carried on motors to nearby health facilities and as a country we haven't done anything to such effects and these unfortunate incidents keep showing up. Others say the okada is killing people and former president wants to legalise it: isn't such comments ridiculous? Cars are also killing, does that mean we should revoke the legal backing of cars in our country? Let's as a nation sometimes look at the rural areas, place value on their life because they're also Ghanaians. Whether okada will be constitutionally legalized or not legalized it's already in the system. I don't want to talk about employment by okada because I won't finish in this write up. Ghana isn't only about the urban areas. We that hail from villages too our lives Matter. It should be legalised right away by the government. The parties in the said constituencies are using okada to go round for their campaigns whereas other constituencies are using V8 in their rounds then You sit in Accra giving reasons why we shouldn't legalise okada. Your members in the okada constituency will walk if okada is criminalised.
ASUMAN-ADU EBENEZER
O24356447O
