Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wednesday signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with road transport unions to use
commercial vehicles for movement of election personnel and materials
on election days in 2019.
According to the electoral commission, it would need over a hundred
thousand vehicles for the elections, which the commission cannot
provide alone hence the resort to commercial vehicles.
The unions involved in the agreement are the National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employees Association of
Nigeria (RTEAN), and the National Association of Road Transport Owners
(NARTO).
However, only the commission, NARTO, and NURTW chairpersons and
secretaries signed the MOU on Wednesday.
INEC’s Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Oluwole
Ossaze-Uzzi, said RTEAN was yet to sign because of unresolved issues
which he did not specify.
INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, in his speech explaining the reason for
the MOU, said the commission had the same arrangement with the NURTW
in 2015 but saw the need to expand the partnership to ensure a more
efficient delivery and retrieval of election personnel and materials.
Mr Yakubu described the new agreement as another giant step towards
making the 2019 elections better than the previous ones by making sure
polling units open on time.
“This is the task that must be accomplished in the next 65 days for
the general elections. We are determined that all polling units will
be opened by 8 a.m
and give Nigerians a pleasant voting experience,” he said.
He said for the commission to achieve effective and efficient delivery
of logistics, it needs over a 100,000, which it cannot provide alone,
thus the decision to partner with the unions.
He said the MOU is a general framework and the actual breakdown would
be worked out at the state level between officials of the unions and
Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
Mr Yakubu said the commission expects the unions to supervise their
members and branches to carry out their function properly and also
ensure neutrality.
He also promised that INEC would monitor the movement of the vehicles
to ensure no personnel or material is diverted.
“We will require to swear to an oath of neutrality as your
participation and effectiveness depends on this. We shall track the
movement of vehicles electronically and eavesdrop on conversations in
the vehicles.”
Thanking the unions for their commitment and sacrifices, he appealed
to them not to fail on their part especially when it is too late for
the commission to make a substitution.
He promised that INEC on its part would work with security agencies to
provide security for the union workers on the day of the elections
while they carry out their duties.
