By Nurudeen Aderinto
All over the world, the issue of national identity has become the fulcrum upon which the fortunes of modern states rest, if utilised for the purpose of state security, public safety, myriads of government digital services for good governance and in pursuance of a successful management of shared communal values within a sovereignty. National identity essentially, is critical in maintaining a successful modern political order in nations, now and beyond. This is because it has become a dependable interface between the state and citizens.
Nowhere is the issue of national identity more crucial than Nigeria, a developing nation seemingly hamstrung by a raging population expansion and humongous diversity, with constant social upheavals. This therefore, underscores the importance that, for Nigeria to attain her full potential as a nation with a well-defined national existential purpose, it mustn’t take with levity, her national identity. It is against this background that one must examine and dissect the new national identity policy dumped on Nigeria at the 11:59th hour, by the outgone administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
On Wednesday May 24, following the valedictory Federal Executive Council meeting of the then outgoing administration, newspapers were awash with the news that the federal government had, “ordered,” banks to be issuing the National Identity Number (NIN) cards to Nigerians. This was according to the administration’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who said: “The approval was given because many Nigerians were demanding cards after being issued the NIN. NIMC Act 2007 only mandates Nigerians to have a National Identity Number and not necessarily printout cards. It is going to be a form of the multipurpose card where it will serve as your national identity card on one hand and also your bank card on the other hand, either Mastercard, Visa, or any other kind of card.”
As well intended as this policy may seem, embarking on it will create a big security and social crises for the new administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As we speak, Nigerians are already traumatised by the mere thought of visiting banking halls for any service, as their confidence levels understandably dropped after how banks handled the cash swap (or is it Naira Redesign) policy of the immediate past administration. Thank goodness that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a proclamation that the policy will be revisited.
It is apparent by the hurried announcement of this policy that former President Buhari was either not properly briefed on the implications of the decision, especially as it affects the laws of Nigeria; or he characteristically over-trusted the decisions of his minister and advisers. The decision for banks to start issuing identity card to Nigerians therefore requires an immediate blockage order from President Tinubu because it clearly contravenes the law.
Buhari and Pantami overreached their powers as executives of government because only an amendment of the NIMC Act 2007 by the National Assembly can accord them the powers they exercised. And as we know, no such thing happened before curtain was drawn on the Buhari government due to effluxion of time. Section 18 of the NIMC Act 2007 on “Registration and Issuance of Multipurpose Identity Cards”, Section 19 of the Act on “Assignment of National Identity Cards”, and Section 21 of the Act on “Contents of the Multipurpose Identity Card,” are both very clear about who is mandated to issue Nigerians national identity cards.
Section 18(5) of the NIMC Act, states that: “Upon the registration of a person under the Act, the Commission shall issue to the registered individual, a Multipurpose Identity Card, with an identity number.”
Again, Under Section 21, where the management of the contents of issued identity cards was addressed, Section 21(1) says: ”For the purpose of this Act, a Multi-Purpose Card issued by the Commission shall;
(a) Record such part of the registered information entered in the Database, with respect to that registered individual as the Commission may, by regulations, prescribe; and
(b) Carry data enabling the card to be used for facilitating the making of applications for registered information recorded in prescribed part of the entry of a registered person in the Database or for otherwise facilitating the provision of that information to a person entitled to be provided with it.
Safe to then say that what Pantami said that banks have been ordered to issue identity cards to Nigerians was an outright contravention of the above quoted sections of the NIMC 2007 Act. Needless to say, that the power to issue and manage the process of issuing and producing General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) cards is exclusively vested as a responsibility of the Nigerian Identity Management Commission, (NIMC).
In fact, in exercising these powers, NIMC in 2011 designed a chip-based General Multi-Purpose Card (GMPC) for Nigerians. Some registered citizens and legal residents were issued the plastic identity cards. However, at some point, the issuance stopped, perhaps due to some circumstances beyond NIMC control, which has to be urgently reviewed as a means to reaffirm NIMC as the identity management institution as deemed.
If NIMC can ensure this, the important or influential activity shall remain domiciled in NIMC, rather than being controlled or influenced by other lesser entity than NIMC. This will protect the integrity of the National Identity Database, amongst other benefits to our dear nation.
To achieve this, these two things must be done: (1) NIMC should be empowered to address all the challenges which made it suspend the issuance of the smart General Multi-Purpose Card which taxpayers funded. With this, NIMC will not run afoul of its Establishing Act by abdicating some of its core responsibilities as enshrined. (2). The federal government must empower the commission to bring about a National Identity Applet; that will facilitate, e-ID (National ID), Ticketing(e-Purse), Licensing (Driver’s License, National Insurance, Passport etc) and Register as applets on the GMPC.
In conclusion, the General Multi-Purpose Card for National Identity Management System is too important to our national security and public safety to be left with banks to print for the citizens and legal residents. It is also important to note that NIMC hit 100 million enrolments into the NIDB in the month of May while the total number of enrolments into the Bank Verification Number (BVN) database is still less than 60 million. By inference, BVN database is a subset of NIN database. In this case, the dog should wag the tail and not the other way round.
Through a well-managed GMPC and a well-designed National Identity Applet, millions of high value jobs can be created which can in turn serve as catalyst to create countless opportunities in Nigeria’s socio-digital space. These initiatives will greatly assist President Tinubu, to deliver on his policies and programmes across all the 16 broad sectors as articulated in the Renewed Hope Action Plan.