By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has commended the Nigerian Communictaion Commision for reducing the number of incomplete sim card registration from 9.2million to 2.24million within the period of two weeks.
He gave the commendation on Monday in Abuja while inaugurating the newly appointed board members of the commission on Monday.
According to the Minister, “I have breaking news for you. Last week I gave us details here that that the statistics of unregistered/incomplete sim cards was alarming and worrisome. Report I got was that we had 9.2million incomplete sim registration. I was flabbergasted. But the report I got this morning is that it has been reduced to 2.42million. Meaning that about 73.31% has been rectified by the NCC within two weeks.
“This means we have only 2.24million yet to be rectified. So we want them to be properly rectified on or before 25th September, 2019”, the minister said.
“Investigation reveals that 99% of crimes committed in Nigeria, sim card is involved. Before you think of any economic benefit, the constitution says that the primary responsibility of the executive is the protection of life and property. So the life of one innocent Nigeria is more important than any economic benefit the Federal Government may get from as a result of improper registration of sim card because you can’t think of any other benefit except when you are alive, the minister said.
He therefore charged the NCC to ensure that by 25th September 2019, there will be no single sim card with incomplete registration so that when a crime is committed, the commission would be able to trace it to somebody and give the details to law enforcement agencies to trace the perpetrator.