By Uche Mbah
The Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, has sent out words that it must have every subscribers tracking Identify number in their database in addition to the National Identify Number, NIN, the Commission has said. This means that the government will have the National Identification number, NIN, The International Mobile Equipment Identity Number, IMEI, and phone number of every Nigerian with a mobile device.
This has been clearly stated in the revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration just released by the Commission.
However, legal authorities believe the directive is in violation of Citizens’ privacy, and violates the constitution.
Section 37 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) provides that:
“The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communication is hereby guaranteed and protected.
Despite this provision, the NCC has mandated Telecom providers to cross check that these are submitted to the commission before a number becomes active on any network.
The directive, the Commission said, was to curtail counterfeit mobile phone theft, enhance national security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce rate of kidnapping, mitigate use of stolen phones, and facilitate tracing of lost mobile phones and electronic devices.
“To achieve this”, the commission said, “the NCC would be responsible for the implementation and Management of the DMS to achieve the policy objective.
“The implementation of a Centralized Equipment Identity Register, CEIR, otherwise known as Device Management System (DMS) will serve as repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones IMEI and owners of such phones.
“IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all operators and service providers. The purpose is to ensure that such devices do not work even if different Sim Cards are inserted into those devices.”
The Commission has, in recent times, come under fire for making it compulsory for subscribers to link their phones to their NIN.
Allegations of Communication Minister Isa Pantami, being sympathetic international terror organisations raised questions on whether the linking is to further terrorist interests.
For example, questions are asked on why NIN was never used to track Boko Haram, Bandits and Herdsmen but are allegedly used to track and kill the leader of the Eastern Security Network, ESN.
