In the bustling town of Offinso Abofour in the Ashanti Region, the Pragya (motor tricycle) has become more than just a means of transport. For many young men and families, it is the only reliable source of daily bread. These three-wheelers ferry passengers across short distances, helping people move goods, attend funerals, go to farms, or rush to the market.

But behind the noisy engines and the constant “Abofour! Abofour!” calls lies a painful reality that many owners are forced to live with — the constant fear of losing their only investment to thieves.

Owning a Pragya in Offinso Abofour today is like sleeping with one eye open. You park it in front of your house at night and still cannot rest. You wake up every few hours to check if it is still there. Some owners have resorted to removing the spark plug before going to bed, others chain it to their doorpost like a goat, while the more desperate ones sleep inside the tricycle itself. This is no exaggeration. This is the daily nightmare many face.

What makes the situation even more frustrating is the open secret that majority of the Pragya plying the routes in Abofour and its surrounding communities are suspected to be stolen machines brought in from Kumasi, Ejura, Mampong, and even as far as Techiman and Sunyani. While I cannot claim this as verified fact, the street talk is too consistent to ignore. Many riders themselves admit in private conversations that “this one no be my original machine.” They simply bought them cheap from middlemen who move stolen Pragya across regions.

The thieves have perfected the system. They strike mostly at dawn or late at night when owners are deep in sleep after a long day of riding. In some cases, the same people who buy fuel from the same stations with owners are the ones casing their tricycles. Within hours of being stolen, the Pragya is repainted, the registration number changed, and sometimes even the engine number is tampered with before it is sold to the next unsuspecting buyer in another town.

This situation has created a vicious cycle. A man works hard, buys a Pragya on loan, only to wake up one morning to find it gone. He loses everything. Meanwhile, the thief or the buyer of the stolen machine continues to operate freely because the system for tracking these tricycles is extremely weak.

The economic implication is also serious. Many financial institutions that used to finance Pragya purchases are now becoming hesitant because the default rate is rising due to theft. Young men who could have been productive are either roaming the streets or turning to other illegal activities after losing their only source of income.

It is about time the authorities treated this issue with the seriousness it deserves. We need a special task force to clamp down on the movement and sale of unverified Pragya in the Ashanti Region. Registration of all tricycles should be properly digitized with engine numbers and chassis numbers captured. Police should also work with community leaders to set up night patrols targeting known hotspots where stolen machines are hidden before being transported out.

To the owners still struggling in Offinso Abofour, I understand your pain. Many of you are just trying to survive. But sleeping with one eye open every night is no way to live. Something must change.

This is not just about tricycles. It is about the dignity of honest young men trying to make an honest living in a difficult economy. If we do not kill this Pragya theft business now, it will kill the dreams of thousands of our brothers in Offinso and beyond.

The nightmare must end.

Abofour to the Offinso