NIN: Why We Are On Strike – NIMC Workers

National Identity Management Commission, NIMC workers have given their fear of the rampaging Covid-19 as one of the reasons for their strike action.

Nigerians had thronged NIMC offices nationwide to register for their National Identity Number (NIN) on Thursday only to meet the offices locked against them.

GWG reports that the Federal Government had, on December 14, 2020, ordered telecommunications firms to disconnect telephones lines of subscribers who failed to link their National Identity Numbers to their subscriber identification modules.

NIMC workers at the end of their congress expressed misgivings that the management had not made adequate arrangements to protect them from COVID-19 as the crowd surge to register for NIN.

The communiqué released at the end of the congress and signed by the union’s Secretary, Mr. Victor Odia, and representative of ASCSN NIMC unit, Mr. Micheal Asekokhai, expressed the mind of the workers.

“The meeting was convened to discuss the state of the exposure of staff members to COVID-19, the salary structure, its representation in the annual appropriation, the irregularities in the conduct of promotions and the personal protection and safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the communiqué stated.

“Consequent upon the just-concluded congress of the above-mentioned association that took place on January 6, 2020, the unit executive directs all members on grade level 12 and below in the head office and state offices to report to their respective duty posts from January 7, 2020, and do nothing.

“All members at the local government offices and special centres are advised to stay away from their various centres as task force and implementation committees would be on parade to ensure total compliance with the directive.”

Meanwhile, President of the Association of the Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC, Asekokhai Lucky told The PUNCH in an interview that some workers of the agency were already down with the disease.

He stated, “Three workers of the NIMC have contracted COVID-19 because in our recent meeting a member of staff actually testified to it.

“The minute of that meeting captured it, as three persons are down with COVID-19. Some of us actually thought those guys were on leave. It was cleared yesterday (Wednesday) that they were treating themselves in isolation centres.”

Lucky said, “Our annoyance is that the management refused to say it out, knowing that it would have helped us to take all necessary precautions. Nobody is talking to anybody.

“That is our annoyance. Yes, our pay is poor, but there are ways we can manage ourselves. The three staff members are in the headquarters here in Abuja. One has been treated, but has not gone back for clearance.”

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