MANIFEST - UNION URGES PASSENGERS TO PROVIDE CORRECT INFORMATION

THE National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has urged road travelers to provide adequate information about themselves in the vehicle manifest.

Alhaji Gidado Hamman, NURTW National President, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that it was important for passengers to give the telephone number of their next of kin, to avoid problems in case of any accidents.
He said the call became necessary because of the inability of the union to contact the family of a passenger who was involved in a road accident recently.

Hamman explained that the union could not reach the family of the victim, because he failed to provide the telephone number of his next of kin.

He said the commercial vehicle, which left Abuja for Gombe State, was just four km to its destination when it was involved in an accident and caught fire, resulting in the death of eight of the 14 passengers.

Hamman said: "One of the victims was a police officer. The family knew that he was travelling home, but when they did not see him after three days, the wife came to Abuja.

"She was then showed the manifest, where she identified her husband's name and number. Since he and his phone were burnt, there was no way he could be contacted; so it was with the help of his wife that he was identified.

"Passengers should always give the actual phone number of their next of kin, and not their own number. They should also give their correct names, so that in case of any eventuality, we will know how to treat them."

He also advised members of the union to desist from storing fuel in jerrycans inside their vehicles while travelling. The union leader warned that once there was an accident, any vehicle carrying fuel could easily catch fire.

He advised travellers to avoid entering any commercial vehicles that carried fuel, to safeguard their lives.