Enugu – The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Enugu State has decried at the poor compliance of the residents toward the registration of the national identity card in the state.
The NIMC Coordinator in the state, Mr Favour Odetah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday that the commission had registered only 20 per cent of the population in the state.
According to him, in Enugu State as at now, we have registered about 72,000 people in our database.
Odetah said the commission was working toward establishing enrolment centres in all the local government areas of the state so as to register more people.
He also said that of the 1000 identity cards so far produced in the state only 300 had been collected by their owners.
“The cards are lying in our office in Enugu and people have refused to come and collect them. We have been employing different methods to create awareness.
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“We are using focus groups, opinion leaders, traditional rulers for the awareness creation,’’ he said.
Odetah said the commission had embarked on massive awareness campaign at the 17 local government areas of the state to sensitise people on the benefits of the exercise.
The coordinator said that the old national identity cards would be phased out by Sept.1, adding that the old cards would no longer be used as a means of identification after its expiration.
Odetah said the commission had established enrolment centres at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, to encourage more enrolment.
“As at now, we have centres in Nsukka, Enugu North, Enugu South, Aninri, Udi Council Areas as well as our head office in Emene, Enugu State.
“We will also reach out to those who might not be able to come to the centers like the military, security agencies, physically challenged and students.
“As from Sept 1, 2015, if you do not have your new National Identity Card, you will not be able to do any business in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, people do not value what is free. People are not taking the enrolment serious, they think it is a child’s play,’’ he said.
He said the commission in the state was faced with challenges of inadequate infrastructures, electricity and laxity on the part of citizens.
Odeta listed the requirements for the enrolment to include either voter cards, utility bill, government issued card, international passport, driver’s licence, local government identification card, or student’s identity card.
He appealed to the state government to make the registration mandatory for all workers in order to encourage people to register. (NAN)
