The current mandatory re-registra
tion of  cell-phone SIMs embarked
upon by virtually all telephone network providers in Nigeria cannot be supported under any guise.
Subscribers who had earlier registered their SIMs are once again required to re-register under very unacceptable conditions.
Besides, the stress and waste of several man hours queuing up for the exercise, the re-registration has, indeed, thrown up critical issues that must be addressed if Nigeria must go beyond the circle of waste, hardship and insults.
Even worse is the blocking of some phone lines that had been registered before without adequate notice. Bad as it is, things like this should only commence after a sustained sensitisation of subscribers. It is unacceptable that lines would be blocked without reasonable time limit.
The idea of calling Nigerians out to queue for one registration or another every now and then has become more of a child’s play. It shows the disregard for the human person and time especially as it affects the economy. That all classes of persons no matter their job demands, age or consideration of the fact that some may be out of the country, would be ordered to within days re-register or lose lines is simply barbaric.
The practice, obviously, fails to recognise that time is money and time, if properly utilised can change the fortunes of a nation. That a productive and working population will spend days or weeks trying to re-register their SIMs is, infact, counter-productive and collosal waste.
The Tide, therefore, sees the call by all network providers in Nigeria as one too many. At a time, it was voters card or Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identity card or drivers licence for which all essential biodata are taken. Sadly, there is nothing to suggest that this will be the last.
In other climes, such exercises are done effortlessly. In fact, such information are fed into a single National Data Bank, from which all legitimate agencies draw details for nearly all transactions. It is sad that technology that makes things easy in other lands now adds to the stress of the average Nigerian. It is not true that people must be made to suffer before things work in Nigeria.
The Tide is constrained to wonder if the current re-registration will be the last. It is even more painful because there is no way of knowing that Nigerians will not be called out again in the next few months for another matter. This is more so because only few years ago, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the network providers separately did the same registration.
Perhaps, the question should be whether the data got lost and how. If so, should every service provider lose its own and should the one with the NCC also develop wings. Will it be too much for questions to be asked and those found culpable sanctioned.
It is, indeed, high time, government made systems in Nigeria function effectively. Infact, steps must be taken. to develop the Information and Communication Technology (lCT) capabilities of our public institutions. More importantly, our systems should be able to collect and save information once and for all for national purposes.
The network providers must as a matter of necessity give more time for people to register their SIMs, especially for the aged, sick and the rural folks who cannot easily access the re-registration points.
Providers must never block any body’s line again on the account of re-registration. Rather, more time should be given for people to comply.