A little smile playing on his lips, President Goodluck Jonathan displayed yesterday his national identity card, drawing applause from officials.
The President sat on a chair for his photograph to be taken after removing his trade mark fedora. His thumbprints were also taken.
In minutes, the card was ready and he displayed it – to the admiration of all.
President Jonathan, who inaugurated the National Identity Card Project yesterday in Abuja, directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to conclude the registration by December 2014.
The President also launched the National Identification Number (NIN) and expressed displeasure at the proliferation of data capturing activities by private and public institutions.
The police, the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other bodies have different data bases.
“Aside from being unwieldy, the cost of operating multiple discordant data bases and infrastructure is unsustainable,” he said, adding: “Government cannot afford continued proliferation of data capture activities. Proliferation does not grant any advantage in efficiency, neither does it make good economic sense.
“The growing identity verification needs, therefore, calls for harmonisation and integration of identity data bases in the development of a universal service infrastructure.”
The President went on: “To achieve this goal, the National Identity Management Commission should ensure that by December 31, 2014, all persons eligible for registration as provided for in Section 16 of the National Identity Management Act No. 23 of 2007 are enrolled into the national identity data base.“
According to the President, all government agencies requiring identity verification and authentication services or involved in data capture activities should align their activities with a view to switching over to NIMC infrastructure.
He said: “The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance must ensure that these objectives, which are aimed at streamlining biometrically-linked databases and optimising scarce resources, are accomplished in record time.“
He expressed the hope that by the time the projects were completed, they would assist the National Population Commission (NPC) in carrying out the 2016 census.
In his view, NIMC and NPC need to work more closely to deliver a comprehensive centralised national database urgently, despite their separate oligations.
Jonathan also urged the private sector to partner with the NIMC in ensuring an efficient national database for the country.
“While Government remains committed to the accelerated development of the National Identity Management System (NIMS), the private sector must also rise up to its role.
“Corporate operators must seize the unique opportunities provided by the Concession Agreement to make investments in the scheme.
“Private sector participation would mean extended optimisation of resources typically devoted to addressing issues of Proof of Identity across the nation.
“It would also mean seamless integration and use of a common facility for identity verification and authentication in both the public and private sectors,” the President said.
The National Identification Number, going by the government’s plan, will enhance the work of security agencies and reduce the cost of managing the naira cash component in the country. Besides, it will reduce the amount of currency in circulation and boost the fight against corruption.
The President said it would also be essential if Nigeria is to introduce social security or welfare payments, and to provide for expansion and upgrading – in line with technological advances.
Jonathan said: “If the work of law enforcement officers is to be enhanced; if consumer credit is to be accessible; if we are to reduce the cost of managing the Naira cash component currently estimated at N192bn per annum; if we are to reduce the amount of currency in circulation currently put at N1.93tn; if we are to achieve a multiple pronged approach to the fight against corruption; and finally, if we are to introduce social security or welfare payments, then we must, first and foremost, establish and verify appropriately, the identities of individuals.”
He challenged the NIMC to drive the project with all the seriousness it deserves. We must move deftly to discount time lost so far, for failure is not an option. I am aware of the challenges facing the Commission, especially in recent times, not least from public cynicism and unfavourable perception of the identity sector, stemming from the wasted efforts of the past,” Jonathan said.
He said the launch of the enrolment exercise reinforces the government’s intention and determination to conclude all reforms in the sector by December 31, 2014.
“If the slogan – ‘ENROL ONCE AND BE IDENTIFIED FOR LIFE’ is to be achieved, the process and progress must remain irreversible. I commend the Management and Staff of NIMC, for the articulation of this catch-phrase. I also commend you for clarifying the differences between the National Identification Number (NIN) and the National Identity Card, a multipurpose Card.”
“Even though both card and number are important components of the National Identity Management System (NIMS), it is important that there’s continued education about their varied applications,” he added.
While looking forward to the launch/presentation of the National Identity Smart Card, the President said he was optimistic that the assets and experience of the exercise would boost the work of the National Population Commission (NPC) towards the proposed 2016 biometric Census.
NIMC Director-General Mr. Chris Onyemena, expressed the hope that the identity card project would collapse other data capturing activities earlier embarked upon by some institutions.
He said the project remained the most important tool for the harmonisation and integration of government policies and programmes.
Onyemena added that NIMC would partner with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to educate Nigerians, especially rural dwellers, on the need for them to obtain their national identification numbers.
National Identity Card: A history of corruption
It failed almost before it began and at the end of it, a minister and his aides stood accused of corruptly enriching themselves in a monumental fraud to the tune of $214million. In December 2013, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief Sunday Afolabi; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Alhaji Husein Akwanga, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ms. Turi Akerele, former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Shatta and SAGEM S.A. Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Niyi Adelagun, were arraigned at an Abuja High court on a 16-count-charge for their involvement in what is now known as the national identity card project scam.
A breakdown of the charges shows that Afolabi is accused of receiving $330,000, while Akwanga is accused of allowing his daughters to collect $30,000 on his behalf. Adelagun is the man identified as distributing the bribes while Nwodo is said to have conspired with him and facilitated the distribution. Akerele is alleged to have collected $500,000.
All accused were connected with the Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) which was entrusted with the execution of a national identity card for Nigerians in 2003. The scheme on which government spent N25 billion ended a colossal failure as it only registered about 36million people out of 150 million Nigerians.
SAGEM, a French electronics and communications giant, was awarded a $214 million contract in 2001 to revive a long- standing plan to issue ID cards to the 126 million inhabitants of Nigeria.
It was discovered that SAGEM agents in Nigeria including Regional Area Manager Identification Systems Mr Jean Pierre Delarue, a Frenchman, and Mr Niyi Adelagun, organised and executed a scheme through which bribes were distributed to top government officials, an ICPC statement said.
The cases died a natural death in the court as the principal accused, Afolabi, died in a Manchester hospital of an undisclosed illness on May 10, 2004.
