By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) yesterday said it will empower female drivers under the aegis of the Female Drivers Association of Nigeria (FEDAN) with vehicles.

Rising from its October NEC meeting in Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Musa, the National President of the union, told newsmen that the step had become imperative for gender mainstreaming in the union.

According to Musa, FEDAN being an affiliate of RTEAN, deserves to be strengthened for members to feed themselves, their families and contribute to national development.

He said: “We must empower women drivers and support them to feed themselves and their family. We may not have money for now to buy brand new vehicles for them, but we promise grand vehicles for them.”

“Members of FEDAN should be helped. We will get them vehicles to drive to sustain themselves. Let us have their details and family contacts for documentation, for the empowerment. We have to carry women along in our activities.”

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The president reiterated his leadership’s commitment to operating an open -door policy and give a fair dealing to all sections of the union.

Musa expressed NEC’s commitment to resolving crisis in affected state branches and assist them to achieve the goals of the association.

He said that NEC had plans to resolve crises in FCT, Ebonyi, Imo, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi and Benue branches of the association.

Musa directed the state chairmen of Nasarawa and Niger to embark on a fact-finding mission and investigate crisis in Benue branch and report to the NEC, saying that all zonal chairmen should wake up and function appropriately.

The NEC also donated a sum of N850, 000 to a national officer in Bauchi, whose house was razed by an inferno while attending the NEC meeting.

The RTEAN national president urged all members to have God in their hearts, be peaceful ambassadors and obey the rules and regulations of their respective states and Nigeria.

The NEC appointed Alhaji Adamu Jalaludeen as the Deputy Secretary-General of RTEAN as well as Chief Edi Nwabeze as the Administrative and Organising Secretary.

Speaking with newsmen after the NEC meeting, FEDAN National President, Ambassador Eunice Odeghe, commended the Musa-led NEC for its gender mainstreaming initiative, saying the development would put food on the tables of many female drivers.