Mr Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure Subscriber Identification Number (SIM) cards registration is linked with the National Identification Card (ID card) and Bank Verification Number (BVN).
According to the Minister, who made the call while inaugurating Mr Adeolu Akande, governing board chairman of the NCC, and Mr Uche Onwude, non-executive commissioner, in Abuja, doing this will help to curb criminal activities in Nigeria and ensure protection in the country.
‘‘Try to see how our SIM card registration will be linked up to our national identification card. We cannot allow criminals to continue to use telecom networks to perpetrate crimes.
Citing a report by NCC, the Minister said that the recent verification of 9.4 million SIM cards revealed that one person had 57 registered SIM cards on one network.
Mr Pantami said the federal government requested this to be done as a result of an increase in the number of kidnappings and other forms of crimes in the country.
“After that, the President has directed me and the security agencies to consolidate on that achievement. Part of what you must address is to ensure that Nigerians do not have difficulties in Sim registration.
Mr Pantami challenged the new board to brace up for the challenges ahead, saying the appointment should not be seen as a privilege, but as a responsibility and the primary interest of the board should be the primary interest of Nigeria.
With the swearing-in of Mr Akande and Mr Onwude, the NCC now has a fully-constituted board of commissioners as stipulated in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, with representatives from all the six geopolitical zones of the country.
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