Nigerians have expressed serious dissatisfaction with the new directive instructing telecom firms to disconnect all SIM cards not synchronized with a valid National Identification Number (NIN) before December 30, 2020. Virtually every citizen interviewed by The Journal felt the time limit is too short.
It could be recalled that few days ago, after a meeting of stakeholders in the Communications industry convened by Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, resolved that all network operators must, from Thursday, December 16, 2020 require subscribers to provide valid National Identification Number to update their SIM registration records.
The National Communications Commission (NCC) later released an official statement giving telecom operators (MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9mobile and others) two weeks’ deadline to block all SIM Cards that are not synchronized with their National Identity Numbers (NIN).
The initiative has been lauded mainly by some government personalities as the way forward, to improve the national database. They feel this will go a long way to help government and security agencies identify individuals when they perpetuate crimes such as kidnapping and banditry.
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However, most Nigerians are not buying these reasons. They believe there are a lot of grounds to show that government lacks consideration in taking the decision.
Many feel this is not the best time to impose such measures considering the reality that the country may be approaching a second wave of the Coronavirus. “With the new SIM directive, people will have to queue at the NIN offices and other NIN designated centres, as well as Telecom centres to get registered or verified. Offices of telecommunications companies will be jam-packed thereby increasing the chances of contracting the dreaded COVID-19”, Kehinde Randle who resides in Ikeja lamented.
Randle further noted: “Even when COVID-19 guidelines are imposed, such things in Nigeria do not occur without a jostle.”
Olayinka Balogun, while speaking to one of our correspondents, also queried: “How do they want to do this for a populated country like Nigeria in just two weeks? Less than a million JAMB candidates were unable to register successfully even after two months when they imposed NIN registration on prospective university students.”
Some others felt the directive did not consider network operators who will be at the losing end when they block the lines of many customers who may not meet up with the deadline. Their investment in pulling in millions of subscribers might go down the drain. What would be the impact when people lose these lines that are connected to their database in important agencies like banks?
“’This policy has the potentials of ruining the economy, because people doing bank transactions with their phones are going to suffer” Musa Shekinah said.
Shekinah was reflecting on e-commerce and e-transactions, where Nigeria had massive economic growth during the lockdown, as well as how the industry will be adversely affected by the new policy.
For Ehigozie Chidi in Magodo, Lagos, “irrespective of the benefits this will bring, the government should suspend the directive pending when the health situation of the nation becomes normal, and COVID-19 tackled effectively.”
“Existing identity documentations can also be used to improve the database. I just hope our Government does not take delight in seeing us line up, scramble, bribe, and fight. This country is full of angry people and our government is compounding the problem instead of solving it”, Chidi added.