By Godfrey AKON
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, for the deployment of over 100,000 vehicles to transport electoral materials and personnel in the 2023 general election.
Chief Technical Adviser, CTA, to INEC Chairman, Prof Bolade Eyinla, who disclosed this in Abuja at a Consultative Meeting with members of NURTW on Tuesday, also noted that the commission is in partnership with Marine Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, for the deployment of 4,000 boats for the election.
Eyinla said the vehicles and boats will convey materials and personnel to 176,846 polling units across Nigeria.
While giving an overview on the MoU, he said the document has four major areas; first, it is a voluntary agreement, based on mutual trust, and on the understanding that the election is a national assignment.
He said the commission is engaging with NURTW to deliver and retrieve, meaning that the union will not only deploy but also return materials and personnel to designated locations, even as he urged members of the NURTW not to abandon INEC personnel and materials as that would expose them to risk.
According to him, both parties have responsibility towards each other as the union will monitor, administer and supervise the deployment, while the MoU will also entail any other obligations that the commission deems necessary for the success of the exercise.
Eyinla further stated that based on the MoU, all members must sign the oath of affirmation of neutrality and non-partisanship before they are engaged, and that all vehicles that would be engaged must be brought for certification by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to ensure they possess some level of safety in order to guarantee the safety of personnel and materials.
He urged NURTW to document all their drivers; provide their names, phone numbers and addresses.
Also speaking, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the meeting was to put finishing touches to the MoU signed between the union and the commission in December and to conclude on the modalities for the certification of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in line with safety standards.
Yakubu said the inclusion of marine workers union is to ensure effective delivery of electoral materials and hitch-free logistics to riverine areas, adding that since NURTW members are spread across the country, there would be no interstate movements.
The INEC chairman charged them not to abandoned NYSC ad-hoc staff on duty, while pledging that INEC is working with security agencies to ensure security of the NURTW members across the country.
On the scarcity and high cost of petrol, he said INEC shares the concerns of the union as it can affect the movement of the vehicles, while assuring them that INEC will meet with authorities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to resolve their worries.
Yakubu also issued a warning to all drivers that would be engaged by the commission that working for INEC is a nonpartisan assignment.
“We have presented to the Union the number and specifications of the vehicles required for the election. We have also indicated to you the locations where the vehicles are needed. Happily, your members are spread across the country.
“Therefore, vehicles conveying personnel and materials will not travel long distances. In fact, all movements should be within a State and preferably within Local Government Areas. There should be no inter-State movement. I should also remind you that our MoU covers both forward and reverse logistics. This means that there is an obligation to return the personnel and materials to designated locations after the election.
“We are working with the security agencies to ensure the safety of your members and their vehicles during the election. Just like our election duty personnel, their safety is paramount,” he said.
While responding, the National President of NURTW, Tajudeen Baruwa, said officials of the union from the 36 states were present at the meeting because the union wants members to know the importance of the MoU signed with INEC.
Baruwa assured INEC that NURTW members across the nation will discharge their duties as prescribed by the MoU and that they will not disappoint the nation.
