Brave Dickson
Conflict among two commercial drivers’ unions over who should be given the responsibility of transporting INEC materials on election day is yet to be resolved in Rivers State.
While INEC had gone ahead to recognize the usual NURTW, another union known as the Urban Drivers Welfare Association (UDWA) had stated that it will not operate under NURTW, adding that INEC should recognize it separately.
The Chairman, Urban Drivers Welfare Association, Lekia Isaac told our correspondent that INEC will be disappointed on election day if it refuses to contract with its union directly.
“We are not under the National Union of Road Transport Workers, we are under a registered and certified union known as Urban Drivers Welfare Association.
“Our union is in control of all the commercial drivers in Rivers State, not NURTW. INEC has been using NURTW for a long time, thinking all commercial drivers are under it which is not true.
The real commercial drivers are under our union and if INEC does not contract with us directly, the electoral umpire will be disappointed on election day because no commercial driver will be available to transport election materials on election day.
“We will write INEC to notify the commission on it so that nobody will blame us if we do not come out on election day to transport election personnel and materials to polling units,” he said.
Isaac also said the letter will contain a security guarantee and life insurance MoU for his members who will be on election duty.
He further said that the response of INEC to their letter will determine if commercial drivers will come out on election day to work for INEC or not.
