ID Cards: The Okorocha’s Option

In an emergency situation
such as this present Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism pervading the country, nothing is too much to do to ensure the security and safety of the people. For security reasons, anyting any governor or the president does to save the citizens should not be criticised or condemned in its totality because the security of lives and property is a paramount obligation of any government.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had recently come up with a proposal for issuance of identification cards to the people of the Northern extraction living in the state, following alleged infiltration of the state by the Boko Haram Sect. this suspicion was informed by the recent discovery of bombs allegedly planted in a Pentecostal Church in Imo State, which was said to have been carried out by Boko Haram Sect.
The Imo State Governor came up with the plan for easy identification of the Northerners residing in the state in order to fish out strange faces, but the policy attracted the condemnation of the Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi, who quoted relevant sections of the nation’s constitution to back up his condemnation of the proposed policy. Ningi in the motion titled: “The issuance of identification card to Northerners residing in Imo State – urgent call for policy reversal”, noted with serious concern recent government policy statement issued by Imo State government, directing all Northerners residing or staying in the state to be issued with an identification card.
He argued that the policy contravened the provisions of sections 41 (1) and 42 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which guarantee, among others, free movement of Nigerians from any part of the country to the other and right of residence without any inhibition or condition whatsoever, adding that they policy, if not reversed, was tantamount to gross abuse of the citizens’ rights and if not checked, could throw the entire country into chaos and threaten the survival of the nation’s democracy.
The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, while corroborating Ningi’s view, described the Imo government’s proposed policy as wrong headed, unconstitutional and discriminatory and lampooned Okorocha’s for ever contemplating such a policy at this level of nationhood. He, however, expressed the feeling that Nigeria is passing through the most difficult period of our history, even worse than the civil war going by the kind of anxiety enveloping the country presently as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency, but noted that should not be used as a license by any governor or anybody to go out of our constitutional provisions in coming up with a policy to tackle the problem.
“This policy is discriminatory and unconstitutional and must be rejected from the onset by all concerned Nigerians. I condemned it in its entirety and urge all stakeholders coming up with any policy to address the security challenges facing the nation, to tackle them within the confines of our constitution”, Ndoma-Egba emphasized.
The Apex body of the North, Arewa Consultative Forum in its reaction, had criticized the Imo State government for the registration exercise.
But the Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has backed Governor Rochas Okorocha over the Imo State Government’s plan to register Northerners in the state and issue them with identity cards. It will be recalled that security forces arrested 486 Northerners suspected to be Boko Haram members in Abia State recently, one of whom was said to be a wanted key member of the sect.
National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Chris Oganah, told newsmen that the national identity card scheme was not enough in preventing terrorism, saying that each state should have a database for residents “for planning purposes”.
According to him, “ideally, every citizen all over the world should carry an ID card for security reasons. There is nothing wrong in what Governor Okorocha has done. It is just that he shouldn’t have targeted only the Northerners; he should have given everybody ID card. Whether we like it or not, Boko Haram is not made up of Yoruba people; it is not by Hausa people but it is from the North and we can’t rule that out, let us not pretend on that”, Oganah stressed, adding “anything any governor does to secure his state because governors are the chief security officers of their states – anything they do that is constitutional is right”.
Also towing the line of Governor Okorocha and moved by renewed bombings in the nation’s capital, Abuja, with massive killings and wanton destruction of property by members of the Islamist Boko Haram Sect, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Senator Bala Mohammed recently ordered all the six area council Chairmen in the territory to immediately begin the registration of all aliens in their respective area councils. Mohammed noted that the area council Chairman would carry out the exercise in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Immigration Services, and as well directed that shopping centres and plazas along the crowded Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 and along all other busy corridors in Abuja and the statellite towns be similarly made to comply with the new security templates.
In a bid to also check the activities of Boko Haram Sect the Commissioner of Police in Abuja, Mr. Joseph Mbu directed operators of hotels to, on daily basis, send the list of people who lodge in their hotels to the Police Command.
Going by the uprising in terrorist attacks and other criminal activities in this country, Nigerians need to collaborate to complement government’s efforts to tackle the menace. The problem has gone beyond adoption of constitutional provisions, after all, the nation’s constitution does not back terrorism or Boko Haram insurgency. Rather, it provides that it is the principal obligation of the government both at federal and state levels to protect the lives and property of the citizens, so the government cannot in compliance with the constitution abandon its obligation and allow evil-minded elements to continue to kill and main innocent citizens.
Even though the 1999 Constitution as amended guarantees the freedom of any citizen to move and live in any part of the federation, there is nothing wrong in asking anyone to possess an identification card to enable him secure full residence rights in the part of the federation of his choice (section 15 (3) (b) refers.
In section 14 (2) (b), the constitution stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government while the miscellaneous provisions of section 305 (3) (c) States that if there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extra ordinary measures to restore peace and security; (d) if there is a clear present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extra ordinary measures to avert such danger.
Section 305 (4) provides that the Governor or a state may, with the sanction of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly, request the President to issue a proclamation of a state of emergency in the state when there is in existence within the state any of the situations specified in subsection (3) ©, (d) and (e) of this section and such situation does not extend beyond the boundaries of the state.
Those condemning plans and actions geared toward tackling the Boko Haram insurgency should have a rethink, it is amazing that one of Nigeria’s former Head of State and defeated Presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 general elections, General Muhammadu Buhari, could urged the federal Government to stop killing members of Boko Haram, who have since 2009 been killing and maiming without any justificiable reasons. He never for ones condemned the heinous activities of Boko Haram since its inception.
This ex-military ruler whose patriotism was expected at this time of the nation’s turmoil, had in 2012 made inciting statements credited to him for predicting bloody revolution in 2015. His provocative remarks played significant role in the present bloody violence that enveloped the northern part of Nigeria, which if not properly tackled, may spread to other parts of the country. This is a man who wants to get power by all means having failed the 2011 presidential election. Such people must be watched as the country prepares for the 2015 general elections. God will not forgive the perpetrators of these evil actions and their sponsors except they atone now and pray for God’s forgiveness.

Shedie Okpara

Participants at a National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja, yesterday.