Reps probe non-release of national identity cards since 2012

The House of Representatives unveiled plans on Wednesday to investigate the activities of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) over the non-release of national identity cards from 2012 to date.

The resolution was passed after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Muhammed Dan Abba Shehu, who solicited House intervention.

In his lead debate, Hon. Shehu observed that the Commission, as established by law, was charged with the responsibility of collecting, managing, and controlling citizen data for effective economic planning and developmental growth, but the reverse is the case in Nigeria.

He added that in 2015, the Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) agreed to immediately implement the presidential directive on the harmonisation and integration of biometric data captured by government parastatals.

“The directive aimed to improve biometric data collection and storage across government agencies, collaborating with NIMC and INEC for efficient voter registration and enhanced identity management.

“The House also notes that in readiness for the 2015 general elections, the government made deliberate efforts to capture eligible voters through the National Identity Card, collaborating with INEC to achieve its core mandate for better electoral results and official usage, but this strategy was not achieved, causing high expectations among citizens and the government.

“The House is aware that Nigerians have shown resilience in assisting the government in obtaining accurate database information through the National Identity Card Management Commission, despite the government’s huge resources for speeding up the process and enhancing electoral transparency and accountability in 2015 and subsequent elections.

“The House is worried that the Commission’s headquarters and its state counterparts have been found to be ineffective in delivering the national assignment to the people, particularly in releasing the national identity cards, due to the government’s neglect of operational activities and directives for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“The House is concerned that despite the availability of resources for rapid production and electoral transparency, Nigerians continue to encounter obstacles to updating the National Identity Card Management Commission’s database information due to a lack of attention from the government and ineffective service delivery.

“The House is worried that the Commission received annual budgetary allocations in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to fulfil its mandate, but efforts to produce and release national identity cards have been unsuccessful, requiring urgent intervention and attention from the federal government.

“The House is cognizant that government intervention in restructuring the Commission is necessary for effective service delivery, revitalising the Commission’s operations, and re-affirming the goal to provide accurate data and identification documents to the citizens, thus restoring the confidence of the Nigerian populace.”

To this end, the House mandated the joint Committees on Population and Anti-Corruption to invite the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and the NIMC Director-General to ascertain the delay in the release of national identity cards from 2012 to date and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.