Nigerian stakeholders have expressed worries over the fact that despite the hasty National Identity Number (NIN) registration, which the Federal Government said was meant to help curb insecurity, insecurity persists across the country.
Those who spoke to Sunday Independent wondered if the exercise had really served any purpose long after its completion as security agencies are still unable to track criminals and their locations.
A public affairs commentator and international missionary, Apostle Dr. Kanayo Success Uchime, believes that the NIN issue was a big scam.
According to him, the exercise was another avenue the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration used to enrich themselves.
He said: “The major reason for the introduction of NIN was to checkmate criminality and corruption in the country, but the question is: Has all these abated? Are banditry, kidnapping and vices not still on the increase in Nigeria?
“The policy has, as its thrust, to ensure all GSMs are linked to the NIN. This will make it easier to track down criminal in the country.
“I believe the only success recorded in the NIN exercise was to enrol and register foreigners, especially the Fulani, from other African countries.
“That move has done nothing but multiplying the rate of criminality in the country. More criminals in other parts of Africa are now made citizens of Nigeria.”
He stated that some time last year, it was reported that some National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) officials were arrested somewhere in Niger Republic for registering citizens of that country and giving them the National Identity Numbers (NIN).
This act of criminality, he added, was not just in Niger Republic, but also in some other African countries.
He asked: “The question then is: How do criminals (bandits) have access to the same GSM without NIN? Why is it that so many of them using telephones to negotiate their ransom have not been apprehended?
“These are serious issues the government needs to address before proceeding further with this NIN scam of a thing. Nigerians are wiser now than before, and as such shouldn’t be fooled again!”
In his contribution, Hon. Charles Anike, the National President of Eastern Union (EU), a political pressure group, said the National Identity registration that caused millions of people hardship and inconveniences has not worked.
According to him, the exercise could best be described as an effort in futility and only served as a means of wasting the nation’s resources and to squander funds.
Hon. Anike stated: “The truth is that the whole idea behind the national identity card registration was to siphon money and to divert the attention of Nigerians from the monumental corruptions and leadership failures of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
He continued: “Recall that many Nigerians spent their little resources trying to meet up with the deadline. Some scammers took advantage to swindle desperate citizens.
“It all ended up as usual, efforts in futility. Even the well proclaimed and publicised reason of wanting to checkmate terrorists and criminals which, according to the government, necessitated the hasty and rush, all were trash.
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