Definitely the issue of National Identity Card is one that
Nigerians have almost given up on seeing the light of day
due to many setbacks that has trailed it over the years.
So when the National Identity Management Commission
(NIMC),the issuing authority for National Identity, directed
that all transactions involving the identification of
individuals must be done with the National Identification
Number (NIN) beginning from September this year, people
are skeptical.
The commission has therefore urged on all Nigerians to
avail themselves the opportunity of enrolment into the
National Identity Database andbe issued a National Identity
Number (NIN), which is the single version of truth and the
foundation of identity.
Pursuant to Section 27 (1) and (2) of the NIMC Act, 2007,the
commission said these transactions include: application for,
and issuance of an international passport; opening of
individual and/group bank accounts, all consumer credits;
purchase of insurance policies; the purchase, transfer and
registration of land by any individual; National Health
Insurance Scheme; such transactions that have social
security implications, registration of voters, payment of
taxes, pension and so on.
The commission’s General Manager, Inspectorate,
Regulatory and Compliance Services, Mrs Hadiza Dagabana
said, “Any government agency/institution, bank, insurance
company and all other institutions offering services and /or
involved in transactions requiring the identity of an
individual must first demand for NIN. Any individual,
institutions/body who fails to comply with the above has
committed an offence punishable under Section 28 of the
NIMC Act.”
For many Nigerians National Identity Card or Number has
become a bottomless pit to inspire enthusiasm and probably
nationalism. This was a project that started in 1978 under
the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. But almost forty
years later, we are still at it, when we should have perfected
it to an art form.
The idea is if people had it, then there is no need for other
schemes purportedly for similar use as the management of
security.
However, the duplication of such scheme are too many for
Nigerians, always singing the same song of storing
information in ‘database’, which should be enough with only
one or two of them.
If the government knew of this why should Nigerians be
subjected to things like voters cards, telecommunications
registration, the current Bank Verification Number BVN,
including the driver’s licenses that are all said to aid
security.
One would have thought with all those details in storage, the
agencies would liaise instead of perpetually subjecting
Nigerians to one form of registration to another.
It is instructive to ask that before issuing the deadline how
many people have got their Identity Numbers?
The deadline is unrealistic without taking a lot of things into
consideration. For instance, where are their facilities that
would make it easier for people to go and register, what
about the level of awareness among people on the street?
The enlightenment by NIMC is by no means aggressive,
certainly nowhere as aggressive as the current Bank
Verification Number and the recent voter registration by
Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
The National Identity Management Commission should have
done more, knowing how Nigerians have lost faith with the
so-called National Identity Card scheme, to win people by
encouraging them.
Therefore the commission should not threaten people as if
all along it is the fault of the citizens that the scheme has
failed again and again.
The deadline should be extended, with the commission re-
strategising on how to encourage people to go and register.
The compliance must reach a certain level before the
commission can issue deadlines.
In the interim the National Identity Card can still be in use in
some cases as it is presently.
We quite understand the significance of National Identity
where many loopholes can be blocked, such as those with
multiple employment, ghost workers and other forms of
criminality.
It is our hope that when this gigantic project is finally
working as it should, judging by the money being sunk into it
since inception, it can be that elusive ‘database’ that other
agencies and institutions can go to for such information.
Because if after that, people are still asked to register for
another round of new scheme, it would be judged to have
failed.
www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/editorial/58548-the-sept-deadline-for-national-identification-number

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i'm yet to have...

The NIMC is doing this the wrong way, it needs to start issuing people their identity cards so that others can come and register. The issue of deadline for registration is pointless. New people are born everyday, people will also be abroad till the deadline ends, will they be refused the registration?

All the government needs to do is mandate every organization and instituion from October to require everyone to present or update their IDs within a specified period or face penalties. Also, government should require everyone in Nigeria who is to benefit from any of its programmes to present their national ID as a mandatory requirement.

This issue of deadline for registration is just out of order in my opinion

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Nonsense

what happened to the old ones


They can go to Hell with it, I don't see it waking the price of crude oil in the near future .

Hope Musiwa of the western Nigeria and my Biafran brothers will not participate in this?