The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, says the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment may be suspended due to large crowds which pose COVID-19 risks.
Mamora, who is also a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
“Nobody feels good; I don’t feel good looking at the picture where people are gathered in multitude. It’s like a super spreader event which we don’t like. I’m also aware that the relevant ministry which is the communications and digital economy is looking at this.
“My understanding is that the whole process may be suspended so as to reorder the whole process in terms of management of the crowd because it was never intended that it would become a rowdy process like that. So, people may have to wait and be called at intervals to go through the process,” he said.
The Minister also urged the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to re-order the enrolment process to avoid large crowds at its centres nationwide.
He said the government has a duty to ensure Nigerians are protected at all times.
“We have a duty as government to ensure that people are protected; we also have a duty to ensure people comply within the limit of what is good for the society at large,” the health minister said.
Dozens of people have continued to gather at NIMC offices across the country to register for their National Identification Number (NIN).
The crowd defied the surge in COVID-19 infections in the country and struggle on long queues at NIMC offices in the nation’s capital, Abuja, Lagos, Katsina, etc.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in reaction blamed Nigerians for flouting COVID-19 protocols while participating in NIN registration.
He also claimed that it takes five minutes for each Nigerian to complete the registration.