BY: Ayomide Arowobusoye
Members of the House of Representatives today, urged the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to extend the deadline for the connection of SIM cards to National Identity Card Number by a minimum of ten weeks.
Following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the House Minority Leader; Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, on the need for an extension of time, the house resolved that the deadline given by the commission was grossly inadequate and should be February 28, 2021 to give subscribers adequate time to meet up the requirement.
Elumelu emphasized that the two weeks given by the NCC, falls within the festive period which will make it more difficult for Nigerians to comply with the directives.
“Millions of subscribers will be disconnected and this will lead to untold hardships for Nigerians this Christmas”, he said.
“It will be almost impossible for Nigerians, over 200 million of them, and the majority for having no NIN, to register for NIN with the National Identity Management Commission, and again submit the NIN to network operators, all within two weeks”
“While we are not against the registration requirement, we are saying that NCC should extend the two weeks deadline”, the lawmaker added.
However, it was the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Toby Okechukwu who amended the motion for an extension of 10 weeks before the House passed it by a unanimous vote.
