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The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that the Federal Government may suspend the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) registration due to the large crowds that gather during the process, a contravention of the Covid-19 protocol.
Disclosing this during a Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Monday, January 11, 2021, Dr. Mamora said this is to help the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) get back to the drawing board and reorder the whole enrolment process in terms of management of the crowd in its offices across the country.
Mamora, who is a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said, “it is displeasing to see crowds gather at the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) offices.”
“Nobody feels good. I don’t feel good looking at the picture where people are gathered in multitudes. It’s like super spreader events which we don’t like. I’m also aware that the relevant ministry which is the communications and digital economy is looking at this.
“My understanding is that the whole process may be suspended so as to reorder the whole process in terms of management of the crowd because it was never intended that it would become a rowdy process like that. So, people may have to wait and be called at intervals to go through the process,” he said.
He noted that only the President has the power to issue any order to alter the subsisting one regarding the National Identity Number (NIN) registration.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had directed that subscribers link their mobile numbers to their NINs or they would be blocked after January 18, 2021.
