By Adejuwon Osunnuyi
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has been told to stop issuing threats to Nigerian subscribers who are yet to get their SIMs linked to a National Identity Number (NIN).
The National President of the Association of Telephone, Cable and Internet Subscribers, ATCIS, Hon. Sina Bilesanmi gave the warning while speaking with The Business Bells on Wednesday.
Bilesanmi’s warning is coming on the heels of recent statement by the minister telling Subscribers to verify their NINs before the new deadline, May 6 or face comeuppance.
While warning defaulters of government’s imminent actions, based on what he called sponsored reports published about him by some media outlets, Pantami, had in a series of tweets, said no amount of intimidation will stop him from implementing the good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari on security.
“If you are yet to verify your SIM using NIN, do it very soon, before our next action. Criminals are feeling the heat,” he said.
He further noted there was no going back on the issue of NIN-SIM Verification to fight insecurity.
“On the issue of NIN-SIM verification to fight insecurity, there is no going back. Our priority as government based on the provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Section 14(2)b is security, not just economy. For sure, no going back at all. Let’s the sponsors continue,” he stressed.
However, according to the ATCIS President; the minister should stop issuing subscribers threat but rather ensure he obeys the court order baring government from deactivating subscribers over failure to link their SIMs.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State had ordered the federal government to extend the deadline following a suit filed by a former National Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association and human rights lawyer, Mr Monday Ubani, on behalf of subscribers, challenging the legality of the timeline.
The court also barred the federal government from deactivating people’s lines by April 6.
“What we are telling the minister is that enough of threatening Nigerians. I believe this is the right time for him (Pantami) to obey the court order rather than threatening to block the lines of Nigerians subscribers over their inability to link their NINs basing his action on insecurity.”
Bilesanmi noted that the court order of March 26 extending the deadline of SIM linkage from April 6 by another two months subsist and superior to government’s to extend it by only one month.
According to him, the one month extension by the government runs contrary to court order which directed that the NIN registration be extended by two months from March 23 when it gave the verdict.
“I believe what they ought to do now is to do the needful as a responsible government by proving jobs for their citizens to avert insecurity.
According to Bilesanmi, unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing Nigeria which the government must address holistically if they want insecurity to abate.
“No doubt, the rising level of unemployment in the country can be attributed for the increase in security challenges in the country.
“Many school leavers and employable adults are unable to secure jobs and the government is unable to act fast enough in finding a solution to this problem.
“Definitely, the high rate of unemployment in the country is directly responsible for the increasing security challenges in Nigeria. For sustainable development to be achieved, the government must urgently address the unemployment crisis facing the country so as to be able to adequately tackle its security challenges.”
“Insecurity is not caused by the subscribers. The issue at hand is for the government to fix unemployment. “
The ATCIS president said the minister should refrain from using President Mohammadu Buhari’s policy which he has continued to quote in deceiving Nigerians.
According to him, the so called Buhari’s policy should be on how fix Nigeria.
“All the noise the minister has been making is not the way forward. The way forward is to call a round table meetings of stakeholders including ATCIS which is the subscribers’ association body. Pantami has failed to call such stakeholders meetings.”
He noted that the minister is just a single person and therefore cannot be singlehandedly making decisions on over 200 millions subscribers.
“This should be a warning to Pantami. If he fails to do the needful, the whole Nigerian subscribers would call for his removal as a minister,” Bilesanmi submitted.
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