Private Workers in the Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has expressed that the Federal Government wants to Punish Nigerians with its new policy directing mobile network operators to block SIM cards that are not linked with NIN by December 30, 2020.
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The association expressed its dissatisfaction in a statement signed by the president of PTECSSAN, Opeyemi Tomori and the general secretary, Com. Okonu Abdullahi A., on Friday, December 18, 2020.
The association identified factors such as continuous reports of security challenges, looming second wave of COVID-19, lack of available infrastructures and festivities will hinder many Nigerians from updating their SIM cards within the stipulated time.
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“we are disturbed by the insensitiveness of the federal government in its press statement. We are forced to believe that, as usual, the government wants to punish Nigerians for her own ineptitude. At this point in time that there is pervasive hardship in the land brought about by banditry, terrorism, thuggery and increasing high cost of living occasioned by the government’s hike on electricity tariff and fuel pump price we do not expect the government to impose a new and an avoidable hardship on Nigerians through this directive,” the statement reads in part.
The association thereby implore FG to extend the 2 weeks ultimatum, provide more NIMC registration centres for NIN across the nation, and work closely with Mobile Network Operators under the Nigerian Communication Commission to link the NIN with the SIM registration records.
“We implore the government to withdraw the directive because it was not well thought out and is highly unachievable. To register about one hundred and seventy million Nigerians that are yet to be registered within two weeks is a tall order that can never be met with the present encumbrances in the present approach of registering the people.
By giving two weeks to Nigerians that have not registered to do so will surely add more hardship on them. The Government is practically telling them to abandon their businesses and whatever they are doing that bring incomes for them within that long period of time.”
“In the light of the above, we implore the government to rather shift its focus on getting more Nigerians registered seamlessly. Registration centers should be brought closer to the people. By this we are suggesting that there should be at least two registration centers in each of the wards throughout the federation,” the association added.
