By Adetunji Ayobrown
INFORMATION: Think twice while linking SIM cards with NIN, avoid randomly linking COVID-19. THE SURGE of cases in recent days are alarming.
DATA: Undeniable fact or evidence about something. Come in any format, downloadable, editable on many platforms and accessible on different operating systems, so nothing is impossible with information technology.
All these are information that could make huge difference.
Let us not harbour the illusion that scientific data while dealing with facts as it does, can be subjected to governments and organisational petty rivalries.
Nigerians are thinking and hoping that public officeholders in government ministries, agencies and parastatal that at a time like this, ought to know what to do because of the ability of the human brain through the use of enhanced senses to process data, however, despite that none seems to know what to do or how to do things right.
NIMC claimed to have provided strategies to enable citizens achieve the prescribed registration and linking of NIN to GSM numbers in full compliance with COVID-19 protocols, particularly in the use of facemasks, which remains mandatory and maintenance of social distancing, but contrary is seen everywhere. This has led to, agony and stress of many Nigerian applicants who daily besiege NIMC’s offices, offices of the different services providers for their NIN registration centres in spite of the Corona virus which is not showing any sign of reduction soonest.
This government seem to have a lot of nerves; it seems to be a joke taken too far the decision of the FG to extend NIN registration by only six weeks though stating it has cancelled verification charges.
In response, comments are rivalling on the social media, number still counting in millions especially from citizens without national identification card due to no fault of theirs.
Good judgement based on the data available that an average Nigerian has one or two bank accounts that are supposedly link with BVN. Many people don’t know that there is just a degree of difference between hot water and steam. The facial scan, name, age, gender, state of origin with finger prints are some of the requirements when registering for the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and this is why some want to know what again will be needed for the National Identity Number (NIN).
Really, everything is there except one’s political party or toes prints that are not in data base including BVN.
International passports and other travelling document, including our driver’s license are data registered. Whether yes, or no but except there are no information technologists or database analysts good enough and capable of every technical knowhow to address such requirements.
Nothing, not even words can describe the different tales from frustrated applicants, many of whom had to sleep at these registration centres. Even those who got to the centres as early as 3am were bewildered to meet long queues of those who perhaps slept over at the centres.
The FG should be able to improvise at a time like this. Every Nigerian need to know and are asking basis for such new NIN, when many already have the old national identity cards, voter’s cards but still are mandated to register for the new national identity cards. Almost at the same time, as demand for SIM, the NIN is a necessity and major requirement by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), for students intending to sit for the UTME this year.
Except otherwise stated, according to FG, all bank accounts are linked with BVN. So it is just the synergy between public and private sectors capable of taking the Nigeria national security system to another height by maximizing all possible security available potentials anywhere in the world. Banks can bailout in time like this, (even with some charges payable by FG or individuals).
Truly and behold, analysis goes ways beyond use of ordinary data. If not so why would anyone with BVN certification need NIN. FG can ask banks for details as registered in BVN which analysts believe has all the needed information about those bankable set of Nigerians and as such, will reduce the stress to those without any data.
Though, some are of the opinion that there are some intrigues, and surely so do business organisations in the country as well as our national security.
Repetition of data registrations in different spaces shows no coherence between FG and private sector when it comes to some issues.
It may be scandalous to know that even the telecoms companies too don’t have adequate data about their subscribers, else the information they claimed to have should provide enough details about any of their customers or SIM users.
For any required registration or examination in future, most students this year may never have access to their already computed data. Many of whom are not UTME’s first timers, Nigerians wondered if such previous data are truly available in JAMB. Seems like asking for something not available, many prospective applicants for the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) had to besiege the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) centres to obtain the National Identification Number (NIN).
Even and despite the country’s economic depression, scientists keep records of their findings, such should also be the case for banks and records keeping. And without any scientific ambiguity or mathematical jargons, except few additions or subtractions, personal data are records of each individual, whether it is called BVN or NIN.
Otherwise, the BVN information had proven to be inadequate. If considered to be that important then it can be use in place of the NIN.
Direction is a matter of fact; ideas are a matter of opinion. What happened to the many previous repeated SIM registrations? From driver’s license to voters’ card to BVN and previous national identity card registrations? After all, many Nigerians had done one or two of those before now.
Sun-drying Nigerians in the name of NIN registration shows some people in government offices are either not working or simply don’t know their jobs. About time government reconsider some of its decisions concerning linking the NIN to anything.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]
