Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
President Goodluck Jonathan will next week launch a new national identity card for Nigerians, more than 10 years after the Olusegun Obasanjo administration gave a similar card to Nigerians.
Malam Aliu Aziz, the Director of IT and Identity Database, National Identity Management Commission IMC, revealed this in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state today
“Mr. President is going to launch the national identity card by next week. After he launches the card, everybody who had registered will start getting it”.
But the new card will be inadequate in some vital areas: it will not load the blood type of the holder and the DNA. However, it will give every registered Nigerian a national number, which will be linked with the database of the National Health Insurance, which contains the blood group of registered members.
Aziz spoke today at a ceremony to register former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo described the National Identity card as a document that every Nigerian deserves, despite coming late into the country.
“There is need to thank God, after the initial step in 1979, more than 30years ago, we have come back. I hope that this step that we are taking now will be sustained and will serve all the needs of Nigerians. It will also help us to maintain a little bit of security.
“Our Francophone sister countries have had it for so many years. When we made the attempt in 1979, there were people who were fighting against it. Today, because it is a project, a programme and a document which time should have even come before now, nobody is protesting now.
“I see people now wanting to have it; it is good. And maybe, those other institutions that are still keeping separate identification of
individuals in one form or the other will be able to join hands so that with one identity card, we’ll not need a drivers’ license, we
will not need another card for voting, you will not need another card for your contributory pension, you will not need another card for your
health insurance, that with one card, you will not only be identified, but you will be able to do your business throughout Nigeria”, the former President stated.
Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun said the exercise will assist government in executing many policies and programmes.
“Indeed, this should have happened several years back, but if we are able to get it right this time around, I think it will be good for all
of us. I think that would help us to plan really because without that, we truly cannot plan.
“It will help the government to do a lot to execute many of our projects and policies for Nigerians. If we know those that are within
the ages of 16 and 35, I don’t know how it is categorized; we would be able to plan for them and those from 35-60, the official retirement
age, we will plan for them too as well”, Amosun said.
The first national ID card was issued to Nigerians between 2000 and 2006.