Thousands of applicants were Thursday locked outside of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) premises across the country following a strike embarked upon by the commission’s staff, Blueprint has learnt.
The industrial action came amidst effort by Nigerians to get their NIN at NIMC offices all over the country.
The development, it is believed could threaten Nigerians’ access to NIN registration, which is generally said to be ineffective.
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.
“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 notice read in part.
The federal government had through the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), directed telecoms operators to deactivate telephone lines of subscribers not linked to their NIN.
It also said subscribers with NIN have January 19 deadline to link their NIN with their SIM cards, while those without NIN have until February 9 to fully comply.
Currently, over 100 million Nigerians have yet to do so, a development that has caused huge crowds to gather at the various offices of NIMC across the country in breach of the COVID-19 protocol.
Workers’ grouse
In a communiqué issued at the end of the congress meeting of the ACCSN, NIMC branch, the unions said the strike became imperative in view of the exposure of staff to COVID-19 risks, lack of personal protective equipment, irregularities in promotion and poor funding.
The workers also demanded for payment of overtime and enough tools to do their work.
“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,” the communiqué further stated.
Bayelsa
And leading the protest in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, a union leader, Mr. Paul Soroh, said while they worked under pressure to enable Nigerians get their NIN for onward connection to their SIM cards, the federal government failed to provide necessary tools for them to function effectively.
He said despite being listed as beneficiaries during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, they were not giving the PPEs.
He said: “As you know, workers on level 12 downwards are not supposed to be at work, but we came out to do this work voluntarily. But because of the attitude of government, we are withdrawing our voluntary services until something is done about it.”
EFCC warns
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday warned against sale of the National Identity Number (NIN), saying perpetrators would be liable for any criminality linked to their number.
In a statement in Abuja, spokesman of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said some unscrupulous persons were exploiting enrolees’ desperation to induce them to sell their NIN for a fee.
Uwujaren said the buyers of the numbers were also trading with persons “whose motives are anything but noble.”
“The EFCC wishes to alert Nigerians that it is not only illegal to sell their NIN, they stand the risk of vicarious liability for any act of criminality linked to their NIN.
“In other words, they risk arrest and prosecution for any act of criminality linked to their NIN whether or not they are directly responsible for such crimes,” the statement warned.
While warning members against falling for the ploy, the agency advised them to report anyone seeking to buy the facility to the nearest office of the EFCC or other law enforcement agencies.
