NIMC staffs threaten to strike again, issue 21-day ultimatum
Ogaga Ariemu
While Nigerians are yet to recover from the inconveniences orchestrated by the two-day warning strike staged by the staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Senior Staff Association has threatened to down tools again with the issuance of a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government.
Chairman of NIMC Senior Staff Association, Mr Lucky Michael, who disclosed this on Monday said the fresh ultimatum became imperative because the key demands they raised before the previous strike action have not been met by the authorities.
He said the Union suspended the initial strike action on compassionate ground, bearing in mind the stress people seeking to be enrolled were passing through.
His words: “We stepped down the previous strike to see how we can meet the yearnings of Nigerian Citizens. If you look around you will see that everywhere is filled up today because they want to link their NIN with their SIM cards.”
“You are aware that Government has announced that JAMB candidates will need their NIN to be able to register for JAMB this year, the FRSC has also announced that by second quarter of 2021, NIN will be a requirement for renewal of Drivers’ license.
“Those are some of the things that compelled us to resume work while we discussed the issues.”
“Last Friday, the Minister stepped into the matter, he has given us a face mask, face shield. The ones meant for state offices were dumped at Zonal offices and they asked the State coordinators to come and pick them up individually, and we say no, it is part of what we are agitating for.
“Pay me well, then I will live well, you are paying a state coordinator less than N100,000, yet, you expect him to use that same amount to run the state offices. At the end of the day, who reimburses who?
They should be able to do what they said they will do, then, we will know that they are serious.
“At the end of the 2-day warning strike on Friday, we issued a fresh 21-day ultimatum which is presently running and at the end of the ultimatum, if nothing happened, nobody should be held responsible because that is in line with the law. According to the law, we have to give them 21-day ultimatum.
“In 2019, we issued this same 21-day ultimatum on the same issues and till today nothing has happened. If you add 21 to 21, you have 42 days and if after the 42 days, they still failed to do the needful, we will be left with no option than to go back to the streets to demand what rightly belongs to us.”
He, however, said that the Union would be meeting with the Minister tomorrow (Tuesday) to resume discussion on the issues, adding that he would not make comments on the next line of action until after the meeting.
On the Minister of Health’s advice against continued enrolment of Citizens due to overcrowding, Michael said the staff would manage in so far as all the needed and protective materials are provided by the government.
