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National Identity Number: Outrage over N15,000 correction fee
By Kayode Tokede
Nigerians have protested the imposition of N15,000 correction fee being charged by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). The commission had announced payment of N15,000 as the fee for correction of date of birth and others in the National Identity Number (NIN).
Coordinator, Voice of the Youths, Abdulrahman Adeola said imposition of the N15,000 correction fee contradicts the purpose of the National Identity Number. He argued that if the commission is sensitive to the plight of low income Nigerians and dangers of insecurity in the country, such a fee will not be necessary at this period of economic recession.
“We will mobilise our members in collaboration with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to resist this exploitation by the NIMC,”he vowed.
A lecturer at a first generation University, Dr Chukwudi Johnson who claimed to have paid N10,000 to secure appointment said the demand for N15,000 will enable bandits and Boko Haram members to sponsor foreigners as Nigerians.
“When you have more foreigners with the NIN, then what is the usefulness of the exercise?” he argued.
Hajia Zainab Hameed, market leader in Kaduna claimed such payment will further worsen corrupt practices among officials of NIMC.
“Where we have barons of Boko Haram with cash, it will enable them to change details that will be difficult for security agencies to track them. Who approved the N15,000? Is the National Assembly aware?” she asked.
“The ministry of digital economy supervising the NIMC should explain to Nigerians reasons for making registration difficult fir Nigerians,” she added.
However, the charge, according to NIMC regional coordinator in Lagos, Funmi Opensanwo, varies from correction of details like name, address, card renewal or replacement and date of birth.
According to Opensanwo, “The money we charge is for modification fee.
“For the date of birth correction, the processing fee is N15,000. For card renewal or card replacement, there is a processing fee of N5,000.
“For a modification of your name and address, there is a fee of N5,000.”
She noted that the fees “are for services and (things) to be corrected. They are payable to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and not anybody.”
NIMC regional coordinator’s explanations was in response to allegations that officials of the commission have been demanding illegal fees from Nigerians to link their NIN to their sim cards.
The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in December 2020 gave a two-week ultimatum to telecom service providers to block phone numbers without NIN.
The directive has since sparked an outrage amongst Nigerians who argued that government agencies can retrieve their information on other data platform to update their sim card registration.
Currently, Nigeria has multiple citizen’s collection data platforms – the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), NIN, passport, driver’s license, SIM card registration and voters’ card all having the same information of individuals.
The federal government has said telecom service providers who failed to block SIM cards unregistered with NIN after the two-weeks risk withdrawal of their operational license.
“The submission of NIN by subscribers to take place within two weeks (from today December 16, 2020 and end by 30 December, 2020),” NCC spokesperson Ike Adinde said in a statement.
The ultimatum has since been extended by up to six weeks, from Dec. 30 to Feb. 9, 2021, and cancelled the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) charges for verification across the country.
Despite the extension, many Nigerians lament the strenuous procedure in trying to link their sim cards to their NIN as well as those applying for fresh registration. This has led to the violation of COVID-19 protocols of social distancing as thousands continue to besiege registration centres in the country.
Opensanwo attributed the increase in applicants to telecommunication companies’ decision to block sim cards of people whose NIN is not linked to their numbers.
“Yesterday we did not experience what we’re experiencing today,” Opensanwo said.
“The information we got is that most of the applicants’ numbers were being blocked.”
She said the commission is “trying to manage the situation” of overcrowding at many of the registration centres.
The NIMC had said that the ongoing enrollment for the NIN is free across the country.
In a tweet, NIMC warned that those who extort applicants risk a seven-year jail term if found guilty of the offence.
While citing Sections 14, 20 and 21 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Act and Sections 10 and 12 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, NIMC said the offence is punishable in accordance with the laws.
The commission also asked Nigerians to report such cases of extortion for diligent prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The punishment for extortion if convicted is seven years of imprisonment as stipulated in Sections 14, 20 and 21 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Act and Sections 10 and 12 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act,” NIMC said.
“Report extortion via [email protected] or call 08157691214 or 08157691071,” the National Identity Management Commission added.
Hitherto, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ibrahim Pantami, directed the immediate suspension of staff members involved in extortion of applicants at the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, in Bauchi and Kaduna State offices.
Pantami gave the directive following a public outcry that some personnel of NIMC, particularly at some enrollment centres in Bauchi and Kaduna States were capitalizing on the rush for NIN by the public.
The Minister stated that the fraudulent activity perpetrated was inimical to the policy directive of the Federal Government.
He pointed out that the policy requires mobile network subscribers to update their SIM registration with a valid NIN.
Pantami’s order was contained in a statement signed by Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communication of NIMC.
Workers handling the registration of national identity numbers in Delta State have resorted to extorting prospective registrants as they charged between N3,000 and N5,000 for the enrolment form which is supposed to be free.
Nigerian NewsDirect had reported that hundreds of applicants who besieged the NIMC office at Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State were asked to pay to get the forms which are being hoarded by the commission’s staff.
At least six persons were killed and many others injured on Saturday in a bomb attack at a wedding venue in Tashan Mararaba, Gwoza town, Borno State.
According to a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, the bomber, who was later identified as a young lady in her early twenties, detonated her explosive device in the middle of the gathering, causing chaos and destruction.
Intelligence sources told Makama that the victims, who were all civilians, were returning from a wedding celebration when the attack occurred near a busy motorpark.
It was learned that emergency services were rushed to the scene to rescue those injured and transport them to the hospitals in Gwoza.
One of the sources said medical personnel in the hospital said at least six people were killed while fifteen others were injured in the attack.
Speaking with reporters in Maiduguri, the state capital, the Borno State Commissioner of Police (CP), Yusuf Lawal, confirmed the attack saying it was carried out by a female suicide bomber.
Lawal said he was informed by the Divisional Police Officer in Gwoza, that at least six people were killed, with 15 others evacuated to the hospital.
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Pilgrimage sponsorship: Mixed reactions trail NAHCON’s operations, as Govs slam inefficiency
…N90bn subsidy not for sponsorship, but to help stranded pilgrims – MURIC
…National VC of Council of Ulama backs Gov. Bago on probe of NAHCON
…It’s time to end pilgrimage sponsorship – Bishop Emmah Isong blows hot
Rauf Oyewole, Bauchi
Controversies have continued to erupt after the call by the Niger State Governor, Muhammad Umar Bago and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State to scrap the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and set up an agency that will regulate pilgrimage.
The two governors have publicly criticised the hajj management of the Hajj pilgrimage, calling for reforms and decentralisation.
Recall that Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed accused NAHCON of failing to meet expectations despite exorbitant charges of over N8 million for a Hajj seat.
He deplored the hardship faced by Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia while stressing the need to decentralise Hajj operations.
According to the governor, the decentralisation would allow state governments to take full control of Hajj affairs and ensure adequate welfare of their respective pilgrims who paid for Hajj fares through the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards.
Also, Bago, who spoke in a viral clip, sharing his experience in 2024 Hajj demanded a thorough investigation into a N90 billion subsidy given by the Federal Government.
The Governor had earlier posited that “As a state governor, I want to lead a committee of the governors and the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to scrap NAHCON. NAHCON is not helping matters.”
He said the Federal Government is too big to be worried about Hajj problems.
“This is a local government issue, not a state one. State governments should be able to organise pilgrimages and engage agents from the private sector who can manage this more effectively, as other countries do. The government has no business in doing this,” he said.
“Can you imagine governors of Nigeria, the Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, paying to NAHCON and having no place to sleep and being embarrassed? People will say it is because governors have been affected. Yes, they have been affected, but it is good that we are affected, and this is the time for us to change the narrative,” he said in the video.
He further lamented that: “We have failed and continue to fail. NAHCON is supposed to be a regulator, not an operator, but it has continued to act as an operator and has, therefore, failed pilgrims. Can you imagine that feeding, accommodation in Medina, tents in Muna, transportation, and healthcare workers are all managed by NAHCON? No other country in the World does this.”
“NAHCON has no business chartering flights; it is not their responsibility to feed the pilgrims. For example, I am from Niger State. If you allow me to feed pilgrims, I will be able to transport food that people are locally used to to Saudi Arabia to feed my own pilgrims,” he said.
While speaking, the Founder/Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, advised Governor Bago to channel his suggestion on how to improve the Hajj operation.
According to him, NAHCON has been engaging in internal restructuring and has always welcomed new ideas.
On scrapping NAHCON, Akintola said that: “We want the Federal Government to stop interfering in Hajj operations, we are capable of handling our things. About five to six years ago, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs demanded that the Hajj operation be handled by Muslim Community; the government does not need to interfere at all.
“The only place the government needs to come in is the area of international relations, international travels, issuance of passports and protocols.”
MURIC dismissed the uproar on the N90 billion subsidy by the Federal Government, saying that some people were out to give the government of the day a “bad name.”
According to him, “The Federal Government did not sponsor pilgrims. The N90 billion given was not for sponsorship. Economy of Nigeria nosedived and the Naira fell against the Dollar. The value of what they have paid became short and they needed additional N2 million each to meet up. As a responsible government, the Federal Government intervened by supporting the pilgrims who could not meet up with the deadline.”
Akintola said that such intervention could be extended to Christians Community as the government has been doing to its citizens in distress. He cited the Ukraine war where Nigerian students were trapped and the government quickly intervened to evacuate the stranded students.
MURIC said it would not comment on the demand for a probe of NAHCON as it has enough evidence of any mismanagement of funds.
Speaking on the sponsorship of pilgrimage, National Publicity Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Former Chairman of PFN Cross River State, Bishop Emmah Isong, said in his personal opinion, it is time to stop sponsorship of pilgrimage to holy lands.
According to him, Nigeria has many religious historical sites that could attract foreigners to Nigeria.
He said, “Let’s make it a public-private partnership. I mean where the government will provide security and manage visas, diplomatic matters.”
He said that as a stakeholder in Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), he never used government resources to perform pilgrimage.
“I raise money to sponsor myself. Somebody should do so. We must not be colonialistic in our ways.
“What we have now is people sponsoring their girlfriends, those who have three or four wives are sponsoring their families to both Mecca and Jerusalem. The poor man doesn’t go on pilgrimage, those without connection don’t go on pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is your personal venture for spirituality. So what is the business of Nigeria?”
Also speaking, the National Deputy Chairman, Council of Ulamas, Sheikh Danazumi Musa, aligned with the submission of Governor Bago to probe the fund released to NAHCON, saying that the as a major stakeholder must have experienced or noticed injustice before coming to the public to demand for the probe.
“In Islam we don’t tolerate injustice. I’m in support of a special Committee of Inquiry into this year’s Hajj exercise. There are a lot of complaints from the pilgrims.”
Musa believed that there was nothing wrong in subsidising Hajj for Nigerians pilgrims, adding that subsidy is given to citizens across the World when a responsible government feels that things are tough for its people.
The 17 Governors from the Southern part of Nigeria under the aegis of the Southern Governors’ Forum have advocated that each state be allowed to negotiate a new minimum wage they can pay with the labour unions.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“The Forum discussed the minimum wage issues demanded by labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and ability to pay, and each State be allowed to negotiate their minimum wage,” the communique partly read.
In the 16 points communique, the Forum called for strengthening of fiscal federalism and devolution of powers and expressed concern over current practices where mineral licences are issued and explorations undertaken without recourse to state governments.
It noted that issuing mineral licences without carrying the states along have resulted in criminal activities, attendant negative environmental impact, ecological degradation, and with no remediation commitment or revenue accruing to the States or the Federal Government.
The governors maintained that being the economic and industrial region of the country, there was a need to address the inadequate power supply in the region by taking advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows States to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity whilst also considering optional sources like renewables.
The southern governors said they have resolved to aggressively embark on energy transition plan from fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) to cleaner energy and specifically CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and ultimately EV’s (Electric Vehicles) to help reduce the cost of transportation, which would lower the cost of food, goods and services of the citizens and residents.
The meeting also called on the Federal Government to rehabilitate, repair and reconstruct Trunk A roads and transfer some roads to States that have expressed interest in taking them over, applauding President Tinubu for conceptualising and commencing the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which cuts across eight states of the region.
The Communique hinted that the governors have resolved to commission a regional multimodal transport master plan that would prioritise connectivity of rail, road, air and water transportation, to facilitate interstate, intra-regional movement of persons, goods and services and thereby enhancing the ease of doing business.
It further stated that Southern States Development Agenda (SSDA) would comprise of a team whose primary responsibility is to outline a holistic plan to foster trade and investment, sustainable growth and development, economic prosperity, social harmony and food security for the region would be set up.
The Development Agenda, the governors added, would work hand in glove with individual State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agencies, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and other relevant MDA’s and multilateral agencies as necessary.
On the issue of state police, the Governors resolved to continue to advocate for the creation of State police against the backdrop of the success of the regional community based security outfits, which have been effective in intelligence gathering.
The governors, the communique further stated, resolved to remain united and committed to oneness of purpose, noting that the physical boundaries that divide the people of the south could not be compare to the strong bonds of enterprise, resilience and culture that they share just as they have resolved to be deliberate and intentional about intra region trade, partnerships and investment facilitation and promotion which was agreed would require a structured and coordinated collaborative approach.
The members of the Forum commended Mr President Tinubu for the food palliative support to States and the laudable economic recovery reforms and policies through the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda pledging to support him in his unwavering resolve to reposition the country and build a greater future for all.
It would be recalled that at the end of the meeting, Prince Dapo Abiodun was chosen to provide the needed leadership as Chairman of the Forum, while Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State was appointed as the Vice Chairman.
The communique concluded that quarterly meetings of the Forum would be held and rotated among member states.
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