Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami , said that seven SIM cards can be linked to one National Identification Number on the National Identity Management Commission Mobile App launched recently .
The minister said the ministry and NIMC are working on transforming the NIN enrolment process and the onward linkage to SIM cards as required by the Nigerian Communication Commission .
“ We developed an app , when you go online, you will see it. That app , as long as you have your NIMC number , you will only download it without visiting any office . You will be able to link up to seven SIM numbers to only one . I have already downloaded the app , launched the app , and already linked some of my numbers immediately. This is part of digitalisation, ” he said .
Workers of the National Identity Management Commission have suspended the industrial action which they embarked upon on Thursday over the fear of COVID- 19 spread in the agency .
It was gathered that the workers decided to put the strike on hold after a meeting with the Federal Government, where it was agreed that the demands of the employees would be addressed .
The President , Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria , NIMC Unit , Asekokhai Lucky , confirmed the suspension of the strike to news correspondent in Abuja .
He said workers of the commission across the country were being contacted to resume work by Monday and begin the enrolment of citizens for National Identity Numbers .
The strike had grounded activities at NIMC offices across the country, as the workers stopped work , leaving large crowds of people who had visited the commission to obtain their NINs stranded .
Lucky said , “We just finished the meeting and the minister ( of communications and digital economy ) has intervened in the matter . He has promised to look into our grievances .
“ So , we will be meeting with the minister on Tuesday and on that note we ’ ve called off the strike and all workers will return to their offices by Monday morning . ”
On whether the association had communicated the latest development to its branches nationwide , Lucky replied , “ Yes , we are doing it right away. We are putting out a memo to that effect which will be everywhere in 30 minutes. ”
The union leader said , “ We actually served the management of NIMC a 21 -day ultimatum based on the issues of welfare and safety against COVID- 19 that we raised .
“ The ultimatum starts counting today officially. And for it to start counting officially from today we had to step down the strike we embarked on yesterday . So on that note also we ’ ve called off the strike , while the ultimatum starts running . ”
Thousands of applicants have been locked outside of the offices of the National Identity Management Commission following a strike embarked on by NIMC staff , according to reports .
The notice of strike was signed by the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria , NIMC branch , Lucky Michael , and its Secretary , Odia Victor .
It read in part, “ Consequent upon the just concluded congress of the above mentioned association that took place on January 6 , 2020 , the unit executive directs all members of grade level 12 and below in the head office and state offices to report to their respective duty posts tomorrow January 7 , 2020 and do nothing.
“ All members at the local government offices and special centres are advised to stay away from their various centres as task force and implementation committees would be on parade to ensure total compliance to the directive . ”
The congress noted that , “ Staff members were infected with COVID- 19 and adequate measures have not been taken to curtail the spread. The meeting resolved that safety of staff should be prioritised. Furthermore the office environment should be fumigated immediately.
“ The congress agreed that the NIMC staff salary structure approved by the Federal Government vide Presidential assent be implemented in the personnel appropriation of the 2021 annual budget effective January 2021 .
“ That the lopsided and irregular promotion done in 2017 and 2020 be reviewed, regularised and gazetted in accordance with public service rules. ”
Barring any last minute change in plan , the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , will sign the 2021 Appropriation Bill into law on Thursday , according to reports .
The National Assembly had last Monday passed the N 13 . 58 tn budget for the next fiscal year.
It had been the desire of the present regime to restore the country’ s budget to January to December cycle.
This was achieved with the 2020 budget which Buhari signed into law on December 17 , 2019 .
It is also the desire of the Presideny to sustain the feat this year.
Thursday on which the 2021 bill is expected to be signed into law is the last day in 2020 .
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu , confirmed this to news correspondent .
“ All things being equal (and note this ) , the President will sign the 2021 budget into law on Thursday .
“ It is not likely that the plan will change though, ” the presidential aide said .
The National Identity Management Commission , has issued fresh guidelines for applicants to obtain their National Identification Number .
NIMC spokesman , Kayode Adegoke , made this known in a statement titled, ‘ NIMC Adopts Booking System For NIN Enrolment ’ .
The statement partly read , “ Mindful of the second wave of the COVID- 19 which continues to severely affect public health and cause unprecedented disruptions, the Commission wishes to announce that it has adopted a couple of measures to contain the spread of the virus whilst ensuring its services to Nigerians are not entirely interrupted .
“ Effective December 30 , 2020 , attending to applicants would be based on Booking System . For Bookings , applicants are to visit any of the NIMC Offices closest to them during stipulated business hours ( 9 am – 1 pm ) .
“ Once admitted into the office , a Number – Issuing queue management system will be in place to ensure orderliness and strict adherence to Covid – 19 Protocols. ”
The Commission also urged all applicants to use their face masks, observe social distancing and wash their hands while at its centres nationwide .
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo , has cautioned Nigerian leaders to stop blaming God for insecurity , bad economy , poverty, and other challenges confronting the country.
Obasanjo said the nation’ s woes remain the ‘ choice ’ of the leaders and followers , stressing a change of narrative as the country approaches 2021 .
The former president said this at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta , Ogun State , on his 2021 message to Nigerians .
According to him , with enormous resources available in the country, Nigeria does not have to be poor and no Nigerian must go to bed hungry .
He described 2020 as a year of many challenges but urged Nigerians to work and pray hard in order to achieve “a glorious 2021 ” .
Obasanjo said , “ I like the motto of a school which says ‘ work and pray. ’ Some people say it should be ‘ pray and work’ , but it doesn ’ t matter to me in what order I put it, but prayer must go with work and work must go with prayer .
“ And I believe we need to work hard in this country as we pray hard so that the coming year , the year 2021 will be a glorious year for us . But it will not happen unless we work to make it happen.
“ We do not have to blame God for our situation, we have to blame ourselves . Nigeria does not have to be poor , no Nigerian must go to bed hungry . That we have a situation like that is a choice by our leaders and followers alike . My prayer is that God will make year 2021 a better year for all of us , but it will not happen without work. ”
On strategy to recover the economy from recession, Obasanjo said , “When we do the right thing . We are not doing the right thing now . When we do the right thing , the economy will be what it should be .
“ We have gone from one form of insecurity to bad economy and on the top of it is the COVID- 19 . Some people, either for insecurity or for bad economy or for COVID- 19 have gone to the great beyond , I will say may the would of those who have departed, particularly in this year of challenges , may their souls rest in perfect peace. ”
The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria says preparations are being finalised for network operators to become enrolment agents for the National Identity Management Commission .
ALTON Chairman , Gbenga Adebayo , who is a member of the National Task Force on National Identification Number and SIM Registration , said the opening of more enrolment centres would make it easier for Nigerians to register and obtain their NIN for onward linkage to their SIM cards.
He said , “Before now, it has been apathy on the part of citizens to visit the enrolment centre of NIMC . I must say that until the time when NIN became a condition for Bank Verification Number , the number of uptake on NIN enrolment was quite low . And it all boils down to our attitude of low response or poor response as a people in general .
“ NIMC has been on it for eight years but people have failed to visit those centres to enroll . Until there is a significant mandate that people need to do it before certain things happen, you don ’ t see people visiting those centres . ”
He said , “ NIMC has done it alone in the last eight years but it has now opened more centres of enrolment in the last few weeks . There are many centres that are being opened up including the network operators which will now be enrolment agents for the NIMC. That will make access better and make enrolment easier for people. ”
Adebayo further stated that the present NIN linkage to SIM cards is an opportunity for Nigerians to have a national database.
“ We must take responsibility as a people. We all complain that we don ’ t have a national database. We must take advantage of this opportunity and ensure that we create a national database once and for all, ” he said .
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