The atmosphere at the Anambra State office of the National Identification Management Commission, NIMC, Enugwu-Agidi, Dunukofia Local Government Area, got tensed yesterday after workers at the facility refused to register a large number of people who turned up to register for the National Identity Number, NIN.

 

According to some staff of the Commission who spoke to ABS, the union of workers under the NIMC had held a meeting on January 6th, 2021, and came up with a decision to stop work pending when the Federal Government looks into different challenges facing them.

Correspondent, Daniel Ezeigwe reports that the tension had already reached fever pitch when the ABS crew arrived at the NIMC headquarters in Anambra State.

 

As the irated crowds were making their points in clear and noisy confrontation, the workers had already given up to empty explanations knowing that something ugly could happen.

 

Some of the work-related challenges mentioned by the staff members of the Commission included lack of funding, disregard for staff welfare including non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, against COVID-19 to their workers on essential duties.

 

They also noted that the situation had become so bad that most of the equipment used for the work have worn out or broken down, while workers go as far as using their personal money to fuel the generators.

 

On how the people could now register for their NINs to avoid having their mobile lines blocked  by network providers, the NIMC staff members directed intending applicants to access their online registration platform pending when they resume work.

However, the reactions from the people most of whom complained to have been coming to the NIMC office for days, while some said that they had come as early as four o’clock in the morning did not tally up with the submission of the Commission’s staff members.

 

According to the people, they had met the workers attending to some people after collecting as much as ten thousand naira from each person before registering them.

 

Remember that the Federal Government had in December last year directed phone users to link up their phone numbers with their National Identification Numbers before February 9th, 2020 or have their lines blocked.