Nigeria’s ongoing national identity registration exercise got a major boost as former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, got registered at different locations in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Former President Obasanjo, while performing the exercise at the state headquarters of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, in Abeokuta, said that the exercise would help government at all levels to plan for growth and development of the country.
The former president, in whose regime the exercise began in 1979, commended the exercise.
“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,” he said.
He was, however, quick to ask for more features to be added into the system. He canvassed that blood groups of individual Nigerians should be included in subsequent exercise, in case of accident.
In his own submission, the Ogun State Governor, who led other members of the State Executive Council to the registration point at the state secretariat, said that the new exercise would allow for adequate planning which in turn improves socioeconomic development and well-being of all Nigerians.
“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”, he said.
Effort to getting a comprehensive and all inclusive national identification card for Nigerians over thirty years ago when the process commenced had become an illusion to the country, as past attempts by past administrations in the country have not produced the much needed comprehensive and unified national identity card, but this time, the process seemed to be making progress
The exercise is expected to be launched by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja next week and it is the responsibility of all Nigerians to get registered
