The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed fear that the present fuel scarcity in the country will negatively affect its arrangements for the conduct of this year’s general election. INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a consultative meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Abuja yesterday, expressed the concern about the fuel situation in the country and its impact on transportation on Election Day.
“The truth is that our arrangements may be negatively affected by the nonavailability of the products,” he said. Prof. Yakubu disclosed that the Commission would meet with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to look into ways to ameliorate the situation.
The INEC Chairman explained that the meeting with the transport union was to put finishing touches to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Commission and the union on December 20 last year. He added that the meeting would conclude on the modalities for the certification of vehicles by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for the safety of election personnel and materials.
Yakubu, who noted that logistics had been a perennial problem in election administration in Nigeria, explained that the commission solved the problem by collaborating with the road transport union. According to him, they decided to include the Marine Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) “for efficient maritime transportation”. Yakubu added: “The time has come to stop all excuses and provide effective logistics to ensure logistics without hitches on Election Day.
“Nigerians should not wait for the arrival of personnel and materials at the polling units. Rather, we should be there waiting for the arrival of voters. We believe that this is achievable. “Recent elections have shown that working in partnership with the unions and other stakeholders, we can achieve the objective. This is a patriotic duty and we should make the necessary sacrifice in the national interest.” Yakubu told the union leaders that the Commission was aware of the enormous task before them, noting that “election is the largest deployment a nation peri-odically undertakes and mobilisation of vehicles for election is a large and complex exercise”.
He stated that the Commission had presented to the union the number and specifications of the vehicles required for the election, adding that INEC has indicated the locations where the vehicles are needed. The chairman noted that members of the union are spread across the country, stating that “vehicles contoveying personnel and materials will not travel long distances”. He disclosed that INEC is working with the security agencies to ensure the safety of members of NURTW and their vehicles during the election. FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, represented by Bisi Kazeem, promised that they will certify vehicles to be used in the election two weeks before the exercise. The NURTW President, Tajudeen Baruwa promised that they will not disappoint Nigerians, and said they will discharge their duties well.