Nigeria Content Online

The Vice President,
Namadi Sambo, has urged the National Union of Road Transport Workers
(NURTW) to support the on-going voters’ registration exercise for the
success of the 2011 general election.

Speaking yesterday
when he received the President of the Union, Najeem Usman Yasin and his
management team in the State House, Abuja, the Vice President solicited
the support of the union to sensitise its members and mobilise them to
take part in the ongoing voters registration exercise, reiterating that
2011 elections will be transparent, free, fair and electorates’ votes
will count as there will be “one man, one vote”. He assured the union
and Nigerians of government’s determination to develop a good network
of roads across the country, fix the power sector, provide healthcare
facilities and build infrastructure, noting that no economy grows
without a good transport system.

Mr Sambo also
expressed regret at the inability of the union in accessing the Public
Mass Transit Revolving Fund Scheme being managed by the Urban
Development Bank of Nigeria and promised to address the issue with the
Bank’s Managing Director to help the union access the fund. On the
Union’s request to acquire land in the Federal Capital Territory, the
Vice President advised the officials to apply to the Minister of FCT
for land and specify the number of housing units it will use the land
for, adding that government will assist them as long as the houses are
for the benefit of Nigerians.

Access to funding

Earlier, Mr Yasin
expressed gratitude for government’s efforts to enhance the welfare of
workers in the country. He also congratulated President Goodluck
Jonathan and the Vice President on their victory in the recently
concluded PDP primary election. The union boss said the purpose of his
courtesy call was “to register support and commend the Federal
Government for adopting various strategies aimed towards addressing the
country’s infrastructure deficit which is evident in areas such as
inadequate power generation and distribution, poor roads and
transportation networks” as well as “health, education facilities and
security.”

He asked for the Federal Government’s assistance in accessing the
Public Mass Transit Revolving Fund being managed by the Urban
Development Bank, describing the conditions for getting the fund as
being stringent. Other requests solicited were the acquisition of land
in the FCT for mass housing and government’s intervention in Anambra,
Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Enugu States where people who have no
business in trade unions continue to usurp the functions of the union.
Others present were Minister of Labour, Emeka Worgu; Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Anthony Ozodinobi and senior government
officials.