By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
As part of its efforts to ensure that logistic and late arrival of election materials become a thing of the past in the Federal Capital Territory Council election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded plans to engage 1132 vehicles.
The commission further cautioned the leadership of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to ensure that only sound and serviceable vehicles are deployed to cover the exercise slated for Saturday just as it warned that vehicle breakdown or late arrival will not be tolerated.
The INEC boss, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN) issued the order on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholders meeting with the leadership of the two unions and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Union and the Commission ahead of deployment.
Prof. Amupitan reiterate that election is deemed successful if sensitive and non-sensitive materials arrive polling units at the stipulated time and also get back to the coalition centres without hitches and delays.
While recalling some ugly incidents that occurred in the last Anambra State governorship election where vehicles were mobilized from neighbouring states due to lapses from the unions in the state he said,
“An election for us is successful if we are able to mobilize materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive materials, to the polling units. Because the polling units are the pyramids. They are the foundation of votes.
“So, we are not just concerned about activating the racks but, we will want swift movement at the racks, of materials, to the pooling units. And, you have a major responsibility to play.
So, as we enter into the Memorandum of Understanding, I hope that we find you very dependent as partners. Number one, in providing very sound and serviceable guidance in line with the specifications that have been given and, early deployments”.
The INEC Chairman also charged INEC Electoral Officers (EOS0s), who are directly responsible for logistics that no reason for any collapse in logistics will be entertained.
He said, “I’m aware of the role of the EOs when it comes to racks on the polling units. So, I’m happy they are here, and to say that they are expected to oversee whatever agreements, deployments that are agreed upon and, ensure that they are implemented at the area council level. We have emphasized to you in the morning that we don’t want to listen to any excuse.
“You know, there are some excuses that are genuine but, we don’t even want any excuses, whether genuine or not genuine. There are some excuses or errors, mistakes that are not deliberate.
“We don’t want non-deliberate excuses or errors, talk less of deliberate errors. Because, some people will deliberately make mistakes and apologize. We don’t want that.
“So, you are going to be the eye of the commission as you work with the unions to ensure the delivery of the transport logistics.
“What we requested in the Memorandum was deployment of the vehicles to the racks on Friday, so that the driver and the vehicle are ready at the racks. And then, to facilitate early movements from the racks to the polling units”.
Responding the Director of Legal, NURTW Barr. Mercy Ibeh pointed out that they have intimated the commission on some of the challenges witnessed at the Anambra election. She said that the unions are ready to ensure that transportation of men and materials during the FCT election is effectively achieved.
However, she lamented that some of their vehicles were unserviceable and asked the commission to put a word across to the Federal Government so that they can get more assistance.
“The issue of Anambra, I don’t know if I need to highlight it, but we actually brought up some issues that worked against us. We did a letter to INEC presenting those issues. We had a whole lot of challenges before we were able to get in the field in Anambra State. But I believe that if those challenges are taken care of, if those issues we have are ironed out, which we’ve discussed here, I’m sure we won’t have much problem going forward.
“And perhaps on the issue of the kinds of vehicles, perhaps you could put in a word for the federal government to empower the union with better vehicles because the union would always need to work with good and serviceable vehicles. We would appreciate it, if you could put in a word in our favour to that”.
The meeting was attended by the leadership of the commission, including the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner Aminu Idris, directors, and electoral officers, while NURTW was led by its FCT Chairman Abdullahi Dauda and NARTO was also led by its FCT Chairman Panda Mohammed.
