NIMC Explains National ID Card Scheme

The National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC) has said that the reason for the national identity card exercise was to provide Nigerians with a proper means of identification.
A top management staff of its Port Harcourt office, stated this Wednesday in a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The NIMC boss, revealed that all the logistics to provide for a better exercise have been provided.
According to her, the programme has been launched by the federal government, noting that it would no longer crumble like the former one.
She explained that the ID was confidential and may only be released for legitimate transactions.
On adequate enlightenment campaign of the exercise, the management staff, said that concerned authorities had done much to that effect, wondering why few people are only taking part in the programme.
The Tide was informed that the commission was only issuing what qas known as National Identification number slip (NINS), while the permanent ID card would be issued at a later date.
Our reporter reported that people were made to drop their personal belongings, especially bags at the entrance of the NIMC office along Port Harcourt/Aba Express way for fear of the unknown.
In some local government areas, The Tide learnt that the people were made to part with N500 in order to enable them get registered in the National ID exercise.
Such development, we gathered has slowed the exercise at the grassroots level.
It would be recalled that the federal government, commended the issuance of National ID, about five years ago but ended it half-way over what pundits described as lack of proper consultation.