Benjamin Babine, Abuja
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami has directed that the staff members of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) involved in extortion of applicants at the Bauchi and Kaduna State offices, should be suspended immediately.
Following public outcry that some some NIMC enrolment centers in Bauchi and Kaduna were capitalizing on the rush for the National Identification Number (NIN) to perpetuate fraudulent activities, the Minister gave this directive restating his zero tolerance for extortion.
Pantami said the action is inimical to the policy directive of the Federal Government which requires mobile network subscribers to update their SIM registration with a valid (NIN). He stressed that that extortion, bribery and corruption will not be tolerated.
The Minister further noted that such unethical practices must be nipped in the bud by taking stiffer actions against the culprits, saying it has the potency of derailing the SIM-NIN Integration project if not curbed.
“Enrolment for the National Identification Number (NIN) is free of charge, and on no occasion should anyone pay to obtain an enrolment form or to have their biometrics captured. All personnel involved in the enrolment and NIN issuance exercise must carry out their respective duties professionally, fairly and with integrity.
“In light of the above, we wish to call on the general public to assist us in putting our commitments into action by sending proof of any nefarious activity within and around our enrolment centers (snapshot, footage, audio recordings) to 08157691214; 08157691071 or e-mail [email protected],” he said.