By Grace Abe and Philip Yatai
The Transportation Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has partnered with the National Union of Dispatch Riders and Mail Operators of Nigeria (NUDRMON) to fish out criminal riders.
The Mandate Secretary of the secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, disclosed this at a meeting with members of the union in Abuja on Wednesday.
Elechi explained that the partnership followed the development of membership database, portal and identification number by the union, to distinguish them from unidentified riders.
He noted the prevalence of unidentified dispatch riders operating within the FCT with illegal items stuffed in their boxes.
He commended leaders of the union for the initiative, describing it as “crucial in differentiating genuine riders from the bad eggs”.
He pledged the full support of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the transport secretariat saying, “what is important is that you must collaborate and work very closely with the government.
“With this initiative, now we can isolate the bad eggs because it is usually common to paint people with one brush.
“Now the bad ones can be fetched out. Congratulations on this initiative. Our doors are open and ready to work with you in whatever way.
“We are happy to partner with you. After today we can say we are partners with dispatch riders. We can only protect those we have a relationship with”.
Earlier, the National President of the union, Mr Emmanuella Kwaghdega, explained that the database and body number initiative was designed to create a unique, verifiable identity for every captured rider.
Kwaghdega noted that dispatch riding has become a major source of livelihood for thousands of Nigerian youths, since the advent of COVID-19.
He said that NUDRMON members supported restaurants, pharmacies, e-commerce, financial institutions, businesses and households every day.
He, however, pointed out that the profession was facing serious challenges.
He explained that the activities of a few bad elements, security concerns, traffic violations, accidents, multiple operational permits and the absence of a unified identification system threaten the livelihood of thousands of genuine riders.
“We realised that we cannot continue like this. If we want government to protect us, government must know us; if we want the public to trust us, the public must be able to identify us.
“Also, if we want to hold bad operators accountable, we must distinguish them from genuine riders.
“Our vision is: one ride, one identity and one verifiable body number.
“With credible data, we can improve security, promote responsible riding, strengthen accountability, support accident and welfare interventions, engage estates and businesses, and provide government with reliable information for better planning and regulation.
“We also believe this database can provide the foundation for addressing challenges such as multiple operational permits, through engagement towards a more harmonised and rider-friendly framework,” he said.
The president said that if the FCT Administration takes ownership and works with the union, the initiative ceases to be perceived merely as a NUDRMON project.
“It becomes a collaborative solution to a shared FCT transportation and security challenge.
“We, therefore, appreciate the FCTA Transportation Secretariat for believing in this initiative and for choosing collaboration over confrontation and organisation over uncertainty,” Kwaghdega said. (NAN)
Edited by Isaac Aregbesola