Your Excellency,
We are compelled to write you yet again on matters of national importance. Very senior staff at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have contacted us, raising alarm about ongoing massive corruption in the commission, which has since almost crippled its operations.
It can be recalled that NIMC was established by an act of Parliament (Act No. 23 of 2007), with the sole aim of fostering the orderly development of an Identity Sector, and building a modern Identity Management System for Nigeria. Some of the objectives of the organisation includes the following:(a) Create, operate, and manage a secure, sustainable National Identity Database for Nigeria; (b) Build and manage an Identity Authentication and Verification Service Infrastructure for Nigeria; (c) Establish Permanent Registration Centres across the country to enroll every Nigerian and legal resident at his/her convenience; and (d) Issue a chip based, highly secure and user friendly multi-application Smart Card to facilitate online/offline identity authentication and verification.
Your Excellency, the aim and objectives of NIMC outlined above are clearly commendable, and immensely beneficial to a modern economy. As the largest economy and the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria needs Smart Card Identity System for its citizenry for many reasons. Some of the benefits include the following: get accurate measure of citizens population in the country; assist the federal government in strategic planning; assist in mapping out the population demography; help federal, state, and local governments to target development to desired areas of interest based on population density; assist local and foreign donor agencies to channel aid effectively; assist authorities to effectively dispatch aid during emergency; help combat crimes; help combat terrorism
Despite the excellent benefits of the NIMC outlined above, we regret to inform his Excellency that this commission is a shambolic white elephant. It is saddled with grandeur corruption running into billions of Naira. As discovered by our investigation, during which we received input from many NIMC staff, corruption at the highest management level is endemic. We hereby outline some of the corruption charges raised.
1. The current Director General, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, has spent over N50 billion of the commission’s money with nothing tangible to show for. Only a paltry 2 million ID cards have been issued since 2007. Similarly, the National Identity Database is a sham. It contains no more than 10 million records, out of a potential 180 million. Besides the DG and his senior colleagues, nobody can tell exactly where the bulk of the N50 billion went to.
2. Without proper feasibility studies of the security implications, without due consultation with Nigerian security apparatus, and without due process of bidding, the current DG commercialised the National Identity Database. He single handedly entered into a commercial agreement with MasterCard, which enables the National ID Card to operate as a Credit Card. Your Excellency, the security and commercial implication of this mistake are enormous.
3. We have obtained the NIMC bank account detail showing that at least N400 million has been squandered in the so called National Agricultural Payment Initiative (NAPI). The N400 was paid to Cellulant Nigeria Ltd. Cellulant is a mobile e-commerce and content management company. It manages, delivers, and bills digital content over mobile telephone network. On 22/7/2015, a whopping N200 million was transferred from NIMC Zenith Bank account to Cellulant. See attached bank statement. The NAPI contract between NIMC and Cellulant is unlawful. It was done devoid due process of law. There was no proper advertisement for tender, no proper bidding process, and no proper screening exercise that determined the final winner of such a significant contract. Everything was shrouded in secrecy.
4. Your Excellency, there is also another ongoing scandalous contract between NIMC and a shadowy company called IFY EZE NIGERIA LTD, of no specific address. Without due process of advertisement, bidding for tender, and screening, this company was awarded the contract to supply NIMC with diesel to fuel its generators. Even though the highest cost of 1 litre of diesel is N150 in the market, IFY EZE is allowed to supply diesel to NIMC at the extortionist cost of N250 per litre. On 25/7/2015, the sum of N43,321,759.42 and N6,678,240.58 were transferred from NIMC Zenith Bank Account to IFY EZE. See attached bank statement.
5. Since 2012, the current DG has spent over N50 million supposedly trying to connect the NIMC offices with the national grid. Up until the time of wring this report, this project has not been implemented. Instead of prioratising the connection of NIMC offices to the national grid to save money, N50 million has been wasted with no results. And at least another N50,000,000 (N43,321,759.42 + N6,678,240.58) has wastefully being paid to shadowy IFY EZE NIGERIA LTD to supply diesel at exorbitant price per litre.
6. Your Excellency, even the staff at NIMC are not safe from the treachery of their DG. On 18/8/2013 he sacked 3,099 staff under the pretext that they did not have degree qualifications. Not long after that, some more unfortunate staff were unlawfully laid off. These unlawful acts were supported by the then Labour Minister, John Wagu, who we learnt benefited from the illicit lay-off operations. Despite being ordered by the 7th National Assembly to settle the benefits of the sacked employees, none of them is settled as of the time of writing this report.
CUPS Recommendations to his Excellency:
1. Your Excellency, we contend that it is inimical to national interest to renew the contract of NIMC DG, Mr. Barrister Chris Onyemenam. He has demonstrated propensity towards corruption, he is clearly incompetent, and is therefore not fit for purpose. He has already served two successive terms of 4 years each, and had his contract unlawfully extended by another one year by the then Secretary to the Federal Government, Pius Anyim Pius.
2. All contracts entered into between NIMC and other parties since 2007 should immediately be canceled and thoroughly investigated, as they were done without due process of law.
3. The commercial partnering with MasterCard is inimical to Nigeria’s commercial and security interests. We contend that it is dangerous to commercialise the National Identity Database in this way. Therefore we advise his Excellency to terminate this senseless contract with immediate effect.
4. The new employees hired by the DG after the unlawful sacking of over 3,099 staff are mainly people with even less qualifications. They were employed only as favours to friends and family. They should be screened and retained only on merit.
5. The over 3,099 employees unlawfully sacked by the DG, whose benefits have still not been paid, should be settled by the Federal Government to ease suffering on them and their families.
6. The National Identity Management Commission and the National Population Commission are serving very similar functions. Billions of Naira could be saved annually in overhead costs by simply merging the two commissions.
Your Excellency, may God save Nigeria and Nigerians. Amen.
Dr. Idris Ahmed.
(President and Founder of CUPS).
Mobile Phones: +447448649282, +447539288602
Office Phone: +442476430470
Website: www.cups.org.ng
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