Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC) Hassan Ayariga has described the promise by flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama to legalise commercial motor bicycle (Okada) in Ghana as a joke that must be ignored.

He told Stephen Anti on the Elections Command Centre on TV3 Friday, September 11 that what the youth need in Ghana is sustainable jobs and not Okada.

He said, “The issue of NDC talking about legalising Okada, let us put this joke aside. How can legalizing Okada be a campaign promise in the 21st Century?"

“What is Okada? I have five motorbikes at home, I grew up riding motor bikes and I picked my sisters and brothers anytime on motorbikes."

“It was never banned, it is another means of transportation. If you cannot afford a car you can afford a motorbike. The difference between Okada and the one we carry our brothers and sisters on is the exchange of money."

“So if you come and sit down on TV and make so much noise that you are going to legalise it, Ghanaians won’t take you serious. I won’t take you serious because you are out of touch of reality. They have taken Ghana for granted."

“Create jobs for the youth, Okada is a means of transport.”

The NDC flagbearer in his electioneering campaign has promised to legalise Okada if elected to be president again because, in his view, it is creating more jobs for the youth.

Mr Mahama recently said during his campaign tour that many behave like the turkey “and bury your head in the sand”.

According to him, “These pragyas, Aboboyaa, okadas have created more jobs in this economy than any government job-related policy. It has created more jobs than NaBCo, YEA and all those artificial job creation programs."

“These young people live under harassment because it’s illegal and so the police stop them, they take money from them and so my suggestion is that why do we behave like the ostrich? Let us legalise it and let us regulate it, let’s make it safer.”