The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC says it is prepared for a hitch free deployment of personnel and materials for the Presidential and Governorship elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu stated this in Abuja during the sensitization meeting on the memorandum of understanding signed with National Union of Road Transport Workers, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.
Professor Yakubu said the workshop was to put finishing touches to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the three unions two months ago.
” The work of INEC requires non partisanship. Working in partnership with the Commission; you will be required to subscribe to the Oath of Neutrality and to demonstrate your non-partisanship in the work you do on Election Day”. He stated.
Professor Yakubu said the Commission would meet officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to look into ways to ameliorate the issue of lack or non availability of Petroleum products.
He said they are working with various security agencies to ensure the safety of the drivers and their vehicles.
The Resident Representatives, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Dr Daniel Mann urged the transport unions not to fail Nigerians.
The President, NURTW, Chief Tajudeen Baruwa said his members both at the national and state levels would work towards a hitch free exercise.
The Corps Marshall, Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Dauda Biu, Represented by Assistant Corps Marshall, Bisi Kazeem said they would use the check list of FRSC to inspect all vehicles that would be used for the exercise two weeks or a week to the election to enable all participants to be ready for the various roles they would play.
He also said that all vehicles inspected and certified would receive a tag from FRSC for proper identification that it has met minimum safety standards.
The Chief Technical Assistant of the INEC Chairman, Professor Bolade Eyinla said the aim of the collaboration was that the election personnel and materials would be deployed in a timely and safe manner to all the election locations.
Professor Eyinla also appealed to the members of the Union not to abandon the INEC officials and the ad hoc staff but to take them to various locations and bring them back after the polls.
Professor Eyinla said the Commission needed about one hundred thousand vehicles and about four thousand boats to transport election personnel and materials to various locations on the eve of election.
RN
