We crave your indulgence to digress a little bit from our regular beats to discuss the all-important NIN (National Identity Number) that NIMC is pressurizing us, from so many quarters- (telephone service providers, bankers, vehicle registrars etc), to get, at a very inauspicious time that we have COVID-19 ravaging. There is even a recent news that INEC is considering linking the almighty NIN to voter card registration. NIN is becoming the antidote that will address the multitudes of political, social, economy, religion and even psyco problems bedeviling our dear country Nigeria.
Sequel to our story “FG pushing Nigerians into COVID 19 Dangers”, in which we analysed the vulnerability of crowd at NIMC centres to COVID infections, the Government announced the closure of NIMC head office to NIN registration, but opened 20 new satellite reg. centres, all in Abuja. Nothing was mentioned about Lagos situation, where COVID 19 cases have been alarmingly high, or any other state. Rather than suspend NIN registration exercise to protect the people, NIMC merely extended the less contentious issue of linking NIN to SIM from January 19 to February 9,2021.
The reactions of readers on our last story on the issue supported complete deferment of NIN registration exercise until such a time that large numbers of our over 200million people have been given jabs of the COVID 19 vaccine. Afterall the government told us that the vaccine is due to come into Nigeria by the end of January 2021. So, why can’t government suspend NIN registration till after vaccination?
The reason why government cannot suspend the registration is simple, NIN is not just ordinary number, it is 11 digits number with omni essence value. With NIN, our public university system will not be in such a deplorable state that lecturers can go on strike for up to 10 months. With the national number, the ‘recalcitrant’ lecturer would have been identified and dealt with. NIN will help us to know the deserving lecturers for research fund and grant. And because every student carries distinct number, cultist and their activities would have been nipped in the bud.
Government would not allow the fear of corona virus infection to disrupt NIN registration exercise because of the economic importance of NIN. Apart from enabling the government to do a proper fiscal planning, the national identity number will help to revive the ailing national economy, because moribund business concerns will have opportunity of having a data to work with. With NIN available, the likes of tyre manufacturing companies, automobile companies, textile companies, paint companies, agro -allied companies and others that NIN unavailability crushed can come back to life.
Another magical power of NIN is that there will be no hiding place for kidnappers, bandits and even bokoharam assaults. NIN will help the government puts every elements of these group under the radar of the government. As a matter of fact, the speed with which we recovered Dapchi school children, compare to Chibog girls, suggest that NIN spirit is in the air. More than ever before, NIN will give out bandits identities to enable government negotiate directly.
NIN will help us improve on our health facilities to ensure the right of the people to the highest available health standard in the land is attained. Remember, as the second wave of Covid 19 is ravaging, the number of public isolations centres are also vanishing. Victims are forced to self-isolate in their homes or go to private hospitals where they pay huge amount of money. Increase or no increase in infection cases, the NIN exercise must continue so that we can counter the outbreak. With NIN, governments will have a clear idea of the 21st century health equipment to put in public health facilities for our health personnel to perform optimally and discourage brain drain.
What about NIN religion advantage? When NIMC eventually issued Nigerians the national ID card, we can use the card to identify and gravitate to people of the same faith. I say when? and the operative word here is when? because it appears it is convenient for NIMC to push Nigerians to NIN queues, even at the risk of COVID19, than to actually print the card. Some Nigerians, including yours, have been carrying temporary card for over three years after fulfilling registration protocols. Not even a word or message has come from NIMC concerning the permanent card.
While debating the NIN magic power, someone said that robbery of any form either car, bank, armed or unarmed will become a dangerous venture by the time all Nigerians are NINed. Why, I asked? He said “ is it not obvious that robbers will be tracked with NIN?”. Then, it occurred to me that the reason why TELECOM service providers are helping NIMC to urge their customer to register for NIN is because they have failed to give the full value of their technologies to the customers. But honestly, I have my reservation about NIN tracking power because our people say ‘it is when you see the calabash, before you see the mark’.
We can continue to flip through the apparated advantages of NIN, not one will worth more than the soul of a single Nigeria
While the queues are growing longer at the NIMC centres the NCDC reported cases are also ascending.
Here is the latest figure as at 23/01/21
- On the 23rd of January 2021, 1633 new confirmed cases and 5 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
- Till date, 120602 cases have been confirmed, 95901 cases have been discharged and 1502 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
The 1633 new cases are reported from 21 states- Lagos (498), Plateau (214), FCT (176), Rivers (99), Kaduna (98), Edo (87), Anambra (86), Akwa Ibom (50), Osun (47), Kano (40), Oyo (40), Kwara (39), Ebonyi (28), Niger (28), Taraba (28), Ogun (27), Ondo (21), Ekiti (12), Katsina (7), Borno (6) and Delta (2).
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