The Agony of NIN Applicants In Kwara.

The linkage of subcriber Identification module (SIM) registration records with the  Nitional Identity number (NIN) as directed by Nigerian communications Commission NCC has posed hardship to the applicants in this report our correspondent in Ilorin reports on the plights of NIN applicants in Kwara state in the face of the second wave of covid-19 in the country.
As the Nigerian Communication Commission NCC had in December 2020 order all telecoms companies to disconnect the SIMcard of all persons without Natonal Identity Number NIN, the directive has posed insurmountable challenges in terms of stress and health risks to the numerous applicants who were stranded at the state premises of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on ASA Dam Road in Ilorin as they defy covid-19 protocol medical adversories.
The stranded applicants who claimed to have come from various local governments of the State in their large numbers including the age, nursing mothers and others were seen  flouting the NCDC protocols lamenting over poor and slow pace of registration.
Some of the prospective applicats who claimed to have been on the queue since 5am are pleading with the Federal Government to make the registration easy through their local government of residence and extend the registration deadline.
Kwara Resident Musa Sani called on the government to suspend the ongoing registration exercise and provide safety means for them against contracting covid-19 due to the  large crowd in the centre
Another Kwara resident Mr Demola Akinyemi who also narrated his experience said “when they started there was no covid-19 and now the covid-19 is there and the government is fully aware of it, the same government talking about safety measures, shut down the schools because of covid-19 no Nigerian will want his or her line block everybody will be eager to do that obligation, one will expect the government to do the needful. The government should suspend the ongoing NIN registration, they should decentralised the registration centres for people to walk to the nearest place to do theirs, government should also extend the deadline. ” he said.
Some of the applicants also alleged that some of the Staff of Commission are extorting money from them which they say ranges from two hundred to five hundred naira per head for faster process of the card
All efforts to get the reaction of the State Coordinator of the Commission in the State proved abortive as he refused to pick his calls nor respond to  sms.
However, to allay the fears of of Nigerians on SIM disconnection, the Director of Public Affairs of NCC Dr Ikechukwu Adinde in a statement he signed said the current exercise of linking NIN to SIM is for the common good of all Nigerians, as it has far reaching benefits apart from enhancing general  safety, it would help in  vital exercise like national budgeting, policy planning, social intervention programme and many more. “The minister of communication and Digital Economy has assured that the government will continue to review the exercise in the light of experiences to ensure its smooth implementation” he said
Meawhile, the strike recently embark on by National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) over risk of expsure to covid-19, poor welfare package, lack of tools was suspended a few days after.
As millions of Nigerians are yet to comply wth Nigerian Communication Commision NCC directive, measures should be put in place to avoid the huge crowds at various offices of the National Identity Management Commission NIMC in order not to breach the  covid-19 protocol.
End.
The linkage of subcriber Identification module (SIM) registration records with the  Nitional Identity number (NIN) as directed by Nigerian communications Commission NCC has posed hardship to the applicants in this report our correspondent in Ilorin reports on the plights of NIN applicants in Kwara state in the face of the second wave of covid-19 in the country.
As the Nigerian Communication Commission NCC had in December 2020 order all telecoms companies to disconnect the SIMcard of all persons without Natonal Identity Number NIN, the directive has posed insurmountable challenges in terms of stress and health risks to the numerous applicants who were stranded at the state premises of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on ASA Dam Road in Ilorin as they defy covid-19 protocol medical adversories.
The stranded applicants who claimed to have come from various local governments of the State in their large numbers including the age, nursing mothers and others were seen  flouting the NCDC protocols lamenting over poor and slow pace of registration.
Some of the prospective applicats who claimed to have been on the queue since 5am are pleading with the Federal Government to make the registration easy through their local government of residence and extend the registration deadline.
Kwara Resident Musa Sani called on the government to suspend the ongoing registration exercise and provide safety means for them against contracting covid-19 due to the  large crowd in the centre
Another Kwara resident Mr Demola Akinyemi who also narrated his experience said “when they started there was no covid-19 and now the covid-19 is there and the government is fully aware of it, the same government talking about safety measures, shut down the schools because of covid-19 no Nigerian will want his or her line block everybody will be eager to do that obligation, one will expect the government to do the needful. The government should suspend the ongoing NIN registration, they should decentralised the registration centres for people to walk to the nearest place to do theirs, government should also extend the deadline. ” he said.
Some of the applicants also alleged that some of the Staff of Commission are extorting money from them which they say ranges from two hundred to five hundred naira per head for faster process of the card
All efforts to get the reaction of the State Coordinator of the Commission in the State proved abortive as he refused to pick his calls nor respond to  sms.
However, to allay the fears of of Nigerians on SIM disconnection, the Director of Public Affairs of NCC Dr Ikechukwu Adinde in a statement he signed said the current exercise of linking NIN to SIM is for the common good of all Nigerians, as it has far reaching benefits apart from enhancing general  safety, it would help in  vital exercise like national budgeting, policy planning, social intervention programme and many more. “The minister of communication and Digital Economy has assured that the government will continue to review the exercise in the light of experiences to ensure its smooth implementation” he said
Meawhile, the strike recently embark on by National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) over risk of expsure to covid-19, poor welfare package, lack of tools was suspended a few days after.
As millions of Nigerians are yet to comply wth Nigerian Communication Commision NCC directive, measures should be put in place to avoid the huge crowds at various offices of the National Identity Management Commission NIMC in order not to breach the  covid-19 protocol.
End.