- Says NIN/SIM Deadline Extension Should Be for Six Months, Not 8 Weeks
By Adejuwon OSUNNUYI
With the ongoing NIN-SIMs linkage deadline extended by eight weeks, the Association of Telephone, Cable TV & Internet Subscribers (ATCIS) has again challenged Nigerian authorities for its continued indifference attitude of exposing Nigerians to the risk of losing their lives while trying to register for the National Identity Number as well linking same to their SIM cards.
The concern of the association becomes imperative in the light of growing cases of Coronavirus pandemic in the country and the sad loss of lives recorded on daily basis to the dreaded disease.
Speaking at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the National President of ATCIS, Prince ‘Sina Bilesanmi said while the NIN-SIM harmonization could be said to be important, the lives of subscribers are more important.
Bilesanmi said President Mohammadu Buhari should heed the voice of reason by suspending the NIN registration in the face of rising cases of the Covid-19.
According to the ATCIS President, “It is very disheartening that at a time when people are encouraged to stay at home and stay safe; when social distance has been acknowledged as the most potent prevention of further spread of the virus, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has thrown caution into the wind by forcing the subscribers to fight for their SIMs from being blocked, while in the process get their lives endangered.”
“Honestly, I don’t know the reason behind this call for registration at this odd period of coronavirus pandemic. Our government must put health and safety of our people into consideration because COVID-19 is real.
“COVID-19 is not a glamorous disease, neither is it a hoax. Except our government is deliberately trying to endanger the lives of Nigerians, the exercise should be suspended immediately.”
The Business Bells recalls that the NIMC staff had embarked on strike action over what they described as exposure to risks of COVID-19, among other demands.
Before the suspension of the strike, many Nigerians had expressed frustration while trying to get enrolled for their NIN, just as some alleged that they were asked by NIMC staff for financial inducement before they could be registered.
Speaking further, Bilesanmi said, “More importantly, we expect the government to do better and abolish the fear around NIN-SIM harmonization by extending the deadline as recommended to avoid losing the gains of the exercise to a possible explosion in Coronavirus cases which is more life threatening than a SIM without a NIN.
He noted that the NIN/SIM deadline extension should be for at least six months, and not the 8 weeks as announced by the Minister of Technology and Digital Economy.
In the opinion of ATCIS, the insistence of the government on the new deadline, April 6, 2021 for the full linkage of NINs to the over 208 million active telephone subscribers in the country has led to human deluge at various NIN registration centres in the country.
The association said since the government made the irrational decision to disconnect all telephone subscribers without NIN on the stipulated deadline, it has observed from its visitations to different state centres of the National Identity Management Commission that the centres have become a breeding ground to COVID-19.
“We find it rather absurd for the government to insist on ‘NINing’ of all subscribers within such can unrealistic deadline, given that NIMC had only managed to issue about 43 million NINs even with its about 14-year hard work. Does the Minister really want Subscribers to sacrifice their lives to retain their telephone lines? We wonder!”
“Minister, NCC and the MNO’s disclosed that so far, about 56.18 million NINs have been collected by telcos. This may be seen as an achievement on the part of the government and its agents. However, given the current precarious state of public health in the country, ATCIS’s concern goes beyond how many NIN-SIM linkages have been achieved, but at what human cost?”
The National President of ATCIS however urged the 106.2 million subscriber members yet to be linked to submit their NINs before April 6, 2021 deadline.
According to him, subscribers should act responsibly by observing COVID-19 preventive protocols as they go out to enroll at various NIN registration centres across the country.
While speaking on the license granted some other private and public organisations by the commission to provide NINs in order to address the crowds at commission’s offices, the ATCIS urged the federal government / NIMC to compel the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to ensure that personal data of subscribers are safe with its members ( telecom operators).
“ALTON should assure ATCIS that subscribers’ NIN-data are safe with its members,” he said.
Speaking on his determination to continued speaking and fighting for the rights of Nigerian telephone and cable subscribers, Bilesanmi said over the years, in its sustained effort in protecting the interest and right of telecoms subscribers in Nigeria, the association, ATCIS has spent about N367million since 2014 till 31st January, 2021which has basically been on self-sponsored by members without government agency like NCC, NBC and NIMC input.
The association has made over 630 newspaper publications, both local and international as well as online news publication, Radio and National Television Station Interviews with about 95 landmark achievements so far.
