THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED AN ULTIMATUM TO ALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATORS IN THE COUNTRY TO BLOCK ALL SUBSCRIBER IDENTIFICATION MODULES (SIMS) WITHOUT NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (NIN) AND ALSO ORDERED THE NETWORK OPERATORS TO ASK ALL THEIR SUBSCRIBERS TO PROVIDE VALID NIN TO UPDATE THEIR RECORDS AND SUSPEND SIM REGISTRATION.
THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL ECONOMY, DR IKECHUKWU ADINDE, DISCLOSED THIS IN A STATEMENT ON TUESDAY NOTING THAT THIS WAS PART OF A RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION BY ALL NETWORK OPERATORS AT AN URGENT MEETING OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY CONVENED ON MONDAY BY THE MINISTER, DR ISA PANTAMI IN ABUJA.
ACCORDING TO HIM, THE MEETING RESOLVED THAT THE SUBMISSION OF NIN BY SUBSCRIBERS WOULD TAKE PLACE BETWEEN DECEMBER 16 AND 30, 2020 AFTER WHICH ALL SIMS WITHOUT IDENTIFICATIONS SHOULD BE BLOCKED FROM THE NETWORKS WHILE A MINISTERIAL TASK FORCE COMPRISING THE MINISTER AND ALL THE CEOS, AMONG OTHERS, AS MEMBERS WOULD MONITOR COMPLIANCE BY ALL NETWORKS.
HE ALSO WARNED THAT VIOLATIONS OF THE DIRECTIVES BY ANY NETWORK OPERATOR WOULD BE MET BY STIFF SANCTIONS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF WITHDRAWAL OF OPERATING LICENCES
