One-Legged Driver Nabbed

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.co

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday Febraury 5, 2011.
An amputee who drives an Albion cargo truck with registration GT 3398 H has been arrested by the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra.

Hudu Abdulai was nabbed yesterday at a scrap dealers’ site in South Industrial Area following a tip-off but he tells Daily Guide that he has been driving as an amputee since 1979.

To prove to the police that he is indeed driver of the truck, Hudu exhibited his driving skills with ease to the bewilderment of police personnel and a curious crowd that gathered outside the MTTU premises where the vehicle was parked.

He said he uses the vehicle for rubbish collection in Accra and makes income out of it to look after his two wives and nine children.

Asked whether he had ever been arrested by the police, Hudu said “I do not remember the day I was stopped by a policeman. I drive with caution and always observe road traffic regulations.”

He claimed that during Non-Aligned Movement Conference hosted by Ghana in1991, he rode a bicycle from Tamale to Accra.

“I was amputated following an accident in 1979. My father bequeathed this vehicle to me and I have taken good care of it ever since.”

Asked why he did not employ a driver to work for him, Hudu said “the last time I gave the vehicle to someone he crashed it so I have decided to drive it myself.”

ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, Commander of MTTU in an interview said following the tip-off, the police arrested Hudu in the afternoon of Friday and during questioning it came to light that the suspect has been driving with expired license.

“He still uses the license that was outlawed many years ago,” adding “people with disability have specially designed cars so he is not permitted to drive the vehicle.”

He said Hudu will be arraigned before court on Monday adding “such people are a danger to the public we should assist ourselves to weed them out of the system”.

ACP Awuni also stressed the need for collaboration with all stakeholders including the public to bring sanity on the roads.

“Sometime when you arrest a vehicle you are easily able to tell that this vehicle is not in good condition yet the driver will be holding a valid road worthy certificate.”

In a related development, 20 motor bike riders popularly called Okada were arrested by the MTTU yesterday.

According to ACP Awuni, until the law banning the Okada business is repealed the police will continue to arrest all perpetrators and prosecute them saying “they want to challenge the law but we will not allow them.”

He also said the police will enforce the ban on the movement on long vehicles after 8pm and it will take effect from February 18, 2011.

He asked cargo drivers to take advantage of the grace period given them and get copies of the log book design to monitor regulate the movement of the drivers on the highways.