Teachers’ Strike Hits Berekum Okada Business As Riders Lament Low Patronage

The ongoing nationwide strike by teachers is having a ripple effect on the local economy in Berekum in the Bono Region, with commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, among the hardest hit.

Checks by this portal indicate that the Okada business in the municipality has dropped by more than 50 percent since the industrial action began.

According to some riders, the daily rush that characterizes school days has completely disappeared. With no students commuting to and from school morning and afternoon, no teachers reporting to duty, and no parents rushing to Senior High and Junior High Schools, Okada stations that are usually busy have become unusually quiet.

Some riders who spoke to us said they now spend the entire day sitting idle at the station without making meaningful income. For many who depend on daily earnings to feed their families, the situation has become unbearable.

“This strike is really affecting us. We depend on students and teachers for our daily sales. Now there is no work. We sit here from morning to evening,” a rider lamented.

Residents say the development highlights how a single industrial action can affect the entire local economic chain. Beyond Okada riders, food vendors, taxi drivers, and sachet water sellers who rely heavily on the school population are also counting their losses.

They are therefore appealing to the government to as a matter of urgency engage the teacher unions and address their concerns to pave the way for the resumption of academic activities.

“Government should listen to the teachers and fix this quickly. Our hustlers in Berekum are suffering,” another rider appealed.