‘Let me be clear- no one is above the law. Not a politician, not a priest, not a criminal, not a police officer. We are all accountable for our action’. Antonio Villaraigosa.
I read the front page story of the Daily Graphic on February 10, 2015 with the headline OKADA TRADE BOOMS.
I felt so sad and with lots of consternations the reactions of both the Transport Minister and the MTTD operations officer, DSP Sulley Suleiman, which should be pitied.
The citizenry put their trust in officialdom to protect them through the laws of the land, so that those who abuse the laws are brought to book in line with the rule of law as our constitution guarantees.
I remember some months back, the current Police commander of the Greater Accra Region conducted a swoop on the OKADA riders and the streets of Accra saw some discipline and order.
The Police commander by this singular act, received tons of commendation from the public and he promised all and sundry that the exercise was not going to be a nine days’ wonder but what did we see two weeks after? The commander could not live up to his promise and now what do we witness on our roads CHAOS?
The OKADA riders have total disregard for our traffic regulations but do you blame them if you have two of our legislators (Nii Afotey Agbo and Agbesi) who brazenly came out to say the police should go easy on the OKADA riders because they have to do that business to survive.
Their action is a clear circumvention of section 128(1) of the road traffic regulations, 2012 (legislative instrument 2180) and the question I want to pose is what would have happened had these honourables been in other developed jurisdiction?
They would have faced serious consequences which would have truncated their political career but that is Ghana for you.
Last year, I was driving on the Kanashie-Mallam road and I got so frustrated with these OKADA riders because they nearly caused an accident that would have lost many precious lives.
I was compelled to call the police headquarters operational room to complain about the OKADA recklessness only to have a rude response that I should complain to the POLITICIANS because they are the impediments to the enforcement of the law.
In 2013, I traveled to Lagos in Nigeria and I had a perception about the OKADA business in that city. I happen to travel around town courtesy my taxi driver and for hours I never saw any OKADA.
Curiously I ask him whether the OKADA business was dead in Lagos. He told me the new Governor had banned OKADA in Lagos and all the operators were scared because if they were caught the law would severely deal with them.
I was very glad and screamed ‘that is LEADERSHIP’ and that our Ghanaian officials (Politicians and the Police) should learn from this Governor.
My challenge to the Inspector General of Police is that the laws of the country are enacted to be enforced and the Police are to be decisive without fear or favour so that we will all have a very disciplined society.
I want to end with a quotation from Napoleon Bonaparte: ‘When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out’.
We live in a country of rule of law let us respect and enforce the laws.
LORD T. ACCRA
