Okada Legalization Promise Is A Scam — Pius Hadzide Punches Mahama.
Pius Hadzide, a deputy minister of information has described the promise by NDC’s flag-bearer, John Mahama to legalize the special tricycle popularly called ‘okada’ for commercial purposes as a scam.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer Newspaper, Mr Hadzide disclosed that the NDC led by its President introduced a law in Parliament barring the use of same.
The Deputy Information Minister quoting from a parliamentary document said, ‘’Regulation 128 of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) law section 1 makes it clear that the Licensing Authority shall not register a motor cycle or tricycle to carry a fare paying passenger’’.
The regulation, Mr Hadzide noted was introduced and passed in 2012 into law in the nation’s statutes, adding the double standards of John Mahama was legendary since many drivers and owners were prosecuted by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MMTD) of the Police Service.
FACTS:
Quoting from Regulation number 128 clause 2, the Deputy Information said ‘A person shall not use or permit a motor cycle or tricycle over which that person exercises control to be used for commercial purposes except for courier and delivery services.
He continued that clause 3 of same section 128 states that ‘’a person shall not ride on a motor cycle as a fare paying passenger’’.
Arguing further, Mr Hadzide said clause 4 of Regulation 128 nails the matter by stating that, ‘’a person who contravenes sub-regulation 1, 2 or 3 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than twenty five penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than thirty days or both’’.
With these regulations backing his arguments, the Deputy Information Minister wondered if the former President who saw to the passage of same law was acting in sincerity in promise something contrary to what is in the constitution of Ghana.
ADVICE:
The Deputy Minister advised the former President to be sincere with the people of Ghana rather than being double tongued.
Mr Hadzide said that recently the former President has been in the news for admitting to the importance of the free senior high school education policy implemented by the NPP in its first time in government.
This admission, the deputy minister stressed was in sharp contrast what Mr Mahama said prior to the 2016 elections where he also funded and sponsored over a dozen of adverts against this pro-policy.
He therefore asked Ghanaians to be wary of the NDC flag-bearer who is only backtracking on his initial stance on some of the promises the NPP made of which he downplayed its feasibility and realization.
‘’Mr John Mahama is eating back his words just because he knows the populace have accepted all the promises the NPP made in 2016 and he is only trying to hoodwink potential voters with these pretentious admissions so he would be pitied and voted for in 2020’’, Mr Hadzide posited.
STORY BY MICHAEL OFOSU-AFRIYIE, KUMASI.