Quote from 234next.com


N6.1bn SIM registration sparks another Reps brawl
Ini Ekott
July 29, 2010 12:24AM


The controversial spending of N6.1billion on SIM card registration by the federal government yesterday stirred a near-violent sitting of the House of Representatives, where members verbally attacked each other, and nearly engaged in physical assault.

The long-drawn plan, which the lawmakers have refused to approve on grounds that registrations should be done by phone companies, sparked off a row during the final consideration of the Nigeria Communications Commission’s budget, after renewed attempts by the House leadership to secure approval for the exercise.

Many members had during past meetings, opposed the use of N6.1billion for the registration of the phone cards by the NCC, arguing that the responsibility is that of the phone companies-operators, and not the commission as the regulator.

The House communication committee chairman, Dave Salako, was accused by his colleagues of fronting for the phone companies, and leading effort to secure the approval of the House for the project.

Members overwhelmingly brought down the huge allocation last week during the commission’s budget consideration, although the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, promised it may be revisited.

The controversy widened on Tuesday after lawmakers noticed a huge N12billion “error” in the budget of the commission, pushed for by Mr. Salako.

Early Wednesday, some members, discussing unofficially with journalists, vowed to press further and ensure that the N6.1billion was dropped. “That is a clear fraud,” a member said.

The presiding deputy speaker, Usman Nafada, who said on Tuesday that he was briefed about the project, delayed the consideration of the report till Wednesday afternoon, although the item was listed first, in what was viewed as an attempt to have some members leave the chambers before the matter will be hastily approved.

Mr. Nafada looked shocked at how members challenged Ita Enang, the House business and rules committee chairman, and other supporters of the project who attempted to cajole the House into rescinding the earlier decision.

Mr. Enang was angrily shouted down by the protesting members, who broke into riotous groups similar to those formed during the recent brawl in the House over allegation of corruption against the Speaker, Mr. Bankole.

Mr. Nafada put the N6.1billion to repeated voice votes in which members overwhelmingly rejected with a deafening “nay”.

At the final vote, after more than 30 minutes disruption of proceedings, the budget was finally defeated and a helpless Mr. Nafada announced once more, that the matter is still open to considerations, even though house rule opposes such repetitions.
Unquote.





These people, don't they have conscience?

Government should pay for sim card registration? . . .i don't get it! (maybe i'm freakn out or somhm!)

and which of d sim card is dat? d already existin one's or another new one?

n if another 1 den, is it up to gorvernment to pay for d registration? can we pls know d name of d sim card company?

i Know that is Mtn with their palava

Best career to steal nowadays is purely politics
I can't just stop being amazed on the kind of brain we have in Nigeria with title. Who is reponsible for this?

Clearly the mastermind is a thrifty legislator who is determined to convert the desert he has been given to the tropical rain forest he is accustomed.

I can imagine his disappointment and how he must feel betrayed by his colleagues afterall he must have voted in favour of other money-chopping appropriations that didnt make any sense.

He went back to the drawing board to re-strategize and then came up with N300m+N500m=N15bn. This has failed to impress the 'honorable' members. Maybe he can reach out to the house leadership for new ideas since they are so keen on having the bill passed anyway.

Ranoscky:

Government should pay for sim card registration? . . .i don't get it! (maybe i'm freakn out or somhm!)

and which of d sim card is dat? d already existin one's or another new one?

n if another 1 den, is it up to gorvernment to pay for d registration? can we pls know d name of d sim card company?

the govt has mandated all telecomms coys to embark on SIM card registration(a shorthand national database which the govt shd have had a long time ago in the first place) of every subscriber ostensibly to help curb the criminal menace in the country. now they want to bankroll it? my grieviance with the "Honourables" is that their refusal is not likely to be out of moral and principled dictate, but out of greed. as soon as they are promised fat bonus cheques at the end of the day, they will end up signing the damn thing.

^^^^
So, it's not yet uhuru. No wonder Hon (?) Nafada is still insinuating that the matter has not been finally put to rest.

na wa 4 these politicians oh,
from a reliable source, an indigenous software company, SocketWorks, is billing only 1.2billion naira for the entire SIM registration process in nigeria,


how come the money com climb by 5billion?

Oro awon ijoba naijiriya yii sun mi gan O!

se ka ma salo ni?

And why should govt do the registration? Is it not the duty of the companies to that? Or have they turned to govt agencies?

Another way to empty our "already-emptied treasury", bunch of useless people.

Ranoscky:

Oro awon ijoba naijiriya yii sun mi gan O!

se ka ma salo ni?

kilode. . .ibo lofe salo ? Anyways i'm not surprised,the government has her loyalist on this matter while the companies too also have theirs.so it's going to be a case of protectionism,however,i just wish they wont later pass the burden of payment on subscribers.awon eediots

^
my broda,

se oro yi ko sun e ni?

dis peeps don com with another method to empty d already empty wallet! (accordin to maxtop)

You forget say election dey come,so awon guys yi need lati raise owo as quickly as possible to match the threats of atiku and ibb when the campaign finally kick off anyways signature e ko bad

Is it the responsibility of the govt to pay for sim card registration? What are the network providers doing? This countr is in a confused state!!!!!!!! God na ur hand we dey ooooooo.

confused country

another avenue to steal money. may God deliver us

@ nomoneydown you got it right

actually this worth no debate at all. this should be the duty of the phone operators not the commission.

They were just looking for ways to squander 6.1billion naira

which sim card is that plz?

Your SIM CARD!, lol

Everybodies SIM CARD irrespective of whether it is MTN, Glo, Etisalat, etc.

A company came to sell it's product in nigeria, r dey not d 1 to pay for registering? (or am i missin somhm?)

oro yi ko ti e ye mi.

@ranoscky this is 9ja 4 u! every tom, dick & harry shld know dat its d companies dat shld be in charge of the reg of sims but our politicians want to embezzle 6.1 billion & they want to embezzle d money via sim reg

Abeg Wetin concern dem 4 registratn again o. Nobi mtn & other service provider suppose do dat 1. Na so dem wan use so many billion 4 independents when dere are so many things dat needs intervention. Does d FG has any priority at all. God bless naija one black nation under God

why should registration starts from telecommunications. this is a country where nobody knows who is who.
no registration of birth rate.
no registration of death rate.
no registration of all marriages.
no registration of residence addresses.
no registration of occupations.
no documentation of occupations.
e.t.c

useless country with useless mentality

This is typical of Nigeria. Some of us have degrees and PhD in dissillusionment.

Just read through all the post. Look at the defeatist statement. Who should make positive statements, Japanese or Americans?
When you have a problem we want to be right at say to the PROBLEM "I SAID IT NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OUT OF NIGERIA" Yet we expect our leaders to perform when we help them by excusing their theivery in the first place.

Some foreigners read our post and are easily able to cook an agenda. We have really weak hearts, We need to strengthen ourselves and say what should happen it is our power to do so.

I think that one cent should not be spent on it.

^^^^^
Go to the Obudu Ranch stuff thread and you'll see how nationalistic and patriotic we can be.
Nobody should be stopped from opining especially if it is good stuff.
So long as our leaders remain shameless, pessimism would pervade.

what is the responsibility of these communication industries,
subcribers pay for their services so why cant they register their subcribers.
6b is enough to embark on meaningful projects that will beter the lives of the masses,
infact this country is not sensitive to needs of its poplace.

Letz not allow undue sentiments on this matter.

The sim registration, IMO, is a failed project by default.

First, the purpose is grossly defeated in that it can not curb crimes in this part of the world, so long as theres no proper Identification system.
Criminals can still fake IDs, use public payphones run by illiterates etc.

Now, you are asking the telecom firms to register over 60 million subscribers, spread across 36 states and the FCT? You must be kidding!

The firms can never provide the kind of logistics required for this exercise. It can be likened to Voters registration or Census exercises.

You will recall at a point during the last voters registration, government had to declare some days workfree to enable workers go for it.  Ditto for Census. Even Obasanjo had to make extra funds available for these exercises.

How many registration centres do you think MTN needs in Lagos alone?  I dont think MTN has more than 6 or 7 customer service points in the whole of Lagos.

it's either you forget about the wasteful sim reg project or govt has to finance and provide logistics for it.

^^^^ Since it's a govt initiative, let the govt finance it!