With Decentralisation, NIMC Targets 200m NIN Registration Allays fears over SIM card deactivation James Emejo in Abuja The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) yesterday shed more light on the licensing of 203 public and private sectors
agents to register people for National Identity Number (NIN), saying with the decentralisation of the process, 200 million Nigerians would be registered within five years. It said the exercise,
which raised the number of registration centres nationwide from 1,000 to 10,000, is meant to ease the bottlenecks in capturing more Nigerians on the national identity database. The commission explained
that adequate arrangements have been made to capture the data of 200 million Nigerians within the next five years. It also allayed fears over the two-week deadline for deactivating Subscribers
Identity Module (SIM) cards that are not linked with users’ NIN. It added that the steps taken so far to ensure that all subscribers have NIN in their SIM cards are meant to
address the security challenges facing the country. The commission said the telecommunication operators would be involved in the Continued on page 10
Sylva: Oil Market Players’ Survival Depends on Effective Cost-cutting Measures... Page 6 Friday 18 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9384. Price: N250
www.thisdaylive.com TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
Despite Rising COVID-19 Cases, OPS Cautions against Fresh Lockdown PTF mulls review of further opening up of economy NEC worried about health facilities being overwhelmed Omololu Ogunmade, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos Members of the organised private sector (OPS) and
some economic analysts yesterday warned against a fresh lockdown of the economy as part of curbs to tackle the uptick in COVID-19 cases, which heralded the onset of a second wave of the pandemic.
The incidence reached a new high yesterday with data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NDDC) showing a new high of 1,145 new cases of COVID-19 that beat Wednesday's record of 930 positive cases.
Lagos remains the epicentre of the pandemic with 459 cases while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) followed with 145 incidents. The warning came just as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
(SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, who chairs the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, warned at a press conference yesterday in Abuja that the federal government might review the decision on further opening up of the economy.
However, the National Economic Council (NEC), rising from a meeting, expressed concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19 cases overwhelming health Continued on page 46
Buhari Excited over Release of Abducted Katsina Schoolboys 344 freed, on their way from the forest, says Masari To be presented to president today Udora Orizu, Adedayo Akinwale, Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Francis Sardauna in Katsina After nearly a week in captivity, freedom yesterday finally came the way of 344 schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara in Katsina State, who were abducted by bandits that raided their school last Friday. The Katsina State Government confirmed their release, saying they are being returned to the state from Zamfara where they were kept in captivity. Their release thrilled President Muhammadu Buhari who commended the state government and the military for a job well done. THISDAY also gathered that the pupils might be presented today to the president, who is currently in Daura, his hometown, on a week-long private visit to the state. Continued on page 10
MOURNING LOVED ONE... L-R: In-law of the deceased, Mr. Folajimi Ayodeji; his wife, Tara; deceased’s son, Tomi; widow, Patricia; and her son, Tayo, during the service of songs for Prince Adedapo Ojora in Lagos...yesterday kunle ogunfuyi