By Gami Tadanyigbe
The CEO Emovworho logistics limited, Comrade Austin Obule Emovworho, has called on the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to adequately address the Bank Verification Number and the National Identity Number (NIN) to allow easy registration in Government Agencies by Nigerians.
Emovworho, who made the call in a press statement issued in Abuja, described the challenges and hardship faced by Nigerians during registrations and transactions as worrisome.
Comrade Austin said the Proposal by the Federal Government to replace BVN the NIN is not only premature in the circumstances that the country is facing, but it has also engendered confusion in the entire exercise of compiling personal and security data for the citizens.
According to him, Ideally, the government ought to concentrate on providing NIN for Nigerians at this time. If need be, the issue of replacement can come as further development to help address the challenges.
The CEO said The on-going registration of the Nigerian populace in the National Identification Number (NIN) scheme through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) certainly appears to have taken a new twist as majority of Nigerians are faced with bank issues and other means of identification.
“The idea of having a national identification scheme has been widely acclaimed by many as the way to go in deploying technology to enhance national planning for the betterment of Nigerian society but its not serving the purpose.
“The lackadaisical attitude of the government in implementing the national identity scheme conceived many years ago has led to the prolonged execution of the scheme such that the majority of Nigerians are yet to be enrolled.
“Criticisms have trailed the sudden realisation of government that the scheme needs to be fast-tracked to enable the government to address numerous national challenges such as insecurity, immigration, political and socio-economic planning, among others.
“The sudden government interest in the scheme with the caveat that all mobile telephone lines should be linked to a NIN has led to the surge in enrolment across the country.
“This change in government policy has created so much challenge for the NIMC that their offices have become a sort of “Mecca” for all and sundry given that their mobile lines stand the risk of being disconnected if they cannot be associated with any NIN.
“These challenges bedevilling the NIMC in registering Nigerians for the NIN scheme have been enormous given the poor planning and inconsistencies in the execution of the scheme, which has been rife.,” Austin said. (NAN)