Afenifere demands suspension of NIN registration exercise over COVID-19 concerns

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has called for the immediate suspension of linking of Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) cards with National Identification Number (NIN) exercise over COVID-19 concerns.

The group said in a statement on Friday that it was barbaric and archaic for the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to continue the exercise amid the second wave of COVID-19.

In the statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere said:

“Officials of the NIMC who are currently on strike have also complained that they have not been provided and personal protective equipment and their allowances are not being paid.

“It is so barbaric and archaic that Nigerians are being exposed to these dangers which shows lack of critical thinking in leadership when bodies like Google etc can manage whatever information on people’s phones without having any contact with the owners”

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The president of the Association of the Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC unit, Asekokhai Lucky, had in a recent interview claimed that three officials of the agency had tested positive for the dreaded virus at its headquarters with the government doing a cover-up.

Lucky had claimed that NIMC workers were annoyed because the management of the commission knew about the development but kept it from workers, who could have taken necessary precautions to protect themselves.

The Yoruba group, therefore, called on the Federal Government to respond to that allegation.

Afenifere added, “We, therefore, demand immediate suspension of the exercise until all the issues are addressed.”

Nigerians have been crowding NIMC offices across the country amid COVID-19 surge to link their NIN to their SIM cards in order to avoid their telephone lines being disconnected by telecommunications firms as recently ordered by the government.

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