The General Secretary of the Okada Riders Association of Ghana, Alhaji Majid Amadu, has expressed deep gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for improvements in the livelihoods of commercial motorbike riders following the passage of the Okada Bill.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM, hosted by Chief Jerry Forson, Alhaji Amadu commended the President, the Minister for Transport, and Members of Parliament for responding to the long-standing concerns of Okada operators. He described the recent legislative development as a fulfillment of promises the Association had been seeking from Parliament for years.

In celebration of the milestone, Alhaji Amadu revealed plans to organise a major event for all Okada riders, inviting the media to join in officially extending their gratitude to the President.

However, he raised serious concerns about the growing involvement of foreign nationals in Ghana’s Okada business. He claimed that 70% of riders are now foreigners, warning that the trend could pose national security risks.

“If care is not taken, bad actors from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger—even extremist groups—could enter Ghana using motorcycles without being detected,” he cautioned.

Alhaji Amadu called on the government to remove all foreign riders from the sector, arguing that other countries do not allow foreigners to operate as commercial motorbike riders and that Ghana should adopt a similar policy.

He added that the Association is willing to pay taxes to support national development and urged the Ministry of Transport to engage with them to identify and gradually phase out foreign operators.

Alhaji Amadu noted that there are approximately 24,000 Okada riders in Ghana and proposed that members of the Association be integrated into the Police Service to help monitor and eliminate miscreants. He highlighted the challenge posed by unregistered or improperly marked motorcycles, which make tracing criminals difficult.

To address this, he recommended the introduction of customised number plates for all commercial motorbikes, ensuring easy identification and enhanced enforcement.