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Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal Deen has labeled former President John Dramani Mahama  as a “hypocrite” following Mahama’s announcement to legalize the commercial use of “okada” when given the nod in this year’s elections. 

Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama has promised to legalize the commercial use of motorcycles, popularly called “okada”, if re-elected in the December 7 general elections.

Mr. Mahama, addressing to Chiefs and people of Kpando in the Volta Region during his tour of the Region, said he recognizes the many families depend on the “okada” to make ends meet and this is part of the reasons he will have it legalized.

Speaking on UTV’s Late News, Kamal Deen took Ghanaians, especially okada riders, down memory lane.

He reminded them of Mr. Mahama’s decision to ban Okada business in Ghana when he was in office.

Kamal Deen stated the sudden U-turn of Mr. Mahama to legalize the Okada business is nothing but an attempt to convince the Okada riders to vote him back to power.

“Mr. Mahama was in power when the Okada business was banned in Parliament, so for eight years when he was in power, he never saw the need to legalize their business but simply because they want those okada riders to vote for them.”

“ . . what happened when he was the President? Didn’t he find the need to legalize or regulate the Okada business during his regime? His attempt to legalize the Okada business is nothing but to amass votes from the Okada riders because it was this same NDC who banned their business in 2012 . . . The idea to legalize the okada business is not even in their 2016 Manifesto, so what has changed?

“However, on 17th February 2020, the government instructed MTTD to begin a stakeholder consultation on the regulation of the Okada business. The process of legalization of the Okada business has already begun . . . for NPP, we don’t have a problem with the legalization of the Okada business," he stressed.