By Kazeem Akande
#TrackNigeria: The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos chapter says all the vehicles assigned to move election personnel and materials to various polling units are in good condition.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with road transport unions to use commercial vehicles on election days.
Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, the Lagos State Chairman of the union disclosed this in an interview on Friday.
Agbede said that all the union members involved in the exercise were ready and the vehicles to be used were in good condition ready for the elections.
“All our vehicles are in good condition and everybody involved in moving election materials are ready to perform their duty effectively in Lagos state,” the union chairman said.
Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also said that the corps was ready to certify all the vehicles assigned to move the election materials.
Omeje said that 2,987 vehicles had been assigned to convey election materials and personnel to various polling units across the state.
According to him, the FRSC unit commanders together with their personnel will certify all the vehicles allocated to their various local government areas ahead of the exercise.
“The corps carries out inspection and certification of vehicles to be provided for electoral operations by ensuring that the vehicles meet the minimum safety standards,” he said.
He said that FRSC had deployed about 1,750 personnel to participate in election duties across Lagos State.
Omeje said that all inter-states movement would be prohibited to ensure compliance and enforcement of all terms and conditions on the exercise.
INEC, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and NURTW chairpersons and secretaries signed the MoU on Wednesday, Dec. 12.
Mr Oluwole Ossaze-Uzzi, INEC’s Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) said that Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) was yet to sign because of unresolved issues which he did not specify.
The INEC director said that over a 100,000 vehicles would be needed for the elections, which the commission could not provide alone hence the resort to commercial vehicles.
Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal had said that the corps would certify all vehicles that would convey election materials and personnel.
Oyeyemi disclosed this at a capacity building programme on election duties organised for FRSC staff in Lagos.
He said that the corps would apply due diligence and integrity to certify all the vehicles designated for election duties. (NAN)
