The staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has kicked off an industrial strike, leaving applicants of the National Identification Number (NIN) stranded.
The notice of strike was signed by the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC branch, Lucky Michael, and its Secretary, Odia Victor.
It reads: “Consequent upon the just concluded congress of the above-mentioned association that took place on January 6, 2020, the unit executive directs all members of grade level 12 and below in the head office and state offices to report to their respective duty posts tomorrow 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 to the directive.”
Thousands of Nigerians had flocked NIMC offices following a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission for telecoms firms to disconnect the SIM cards of all persons who have not integrated their NIN with their phone lines by the end of January.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the congress meeting of the ACCSN, NIMC branch, the strike had become necessary due to the exposure of staff to COVID-19 risks, lack of personal protective equipment, irregularities in promotion and poor funding.
They also asked to be paid overtime and given enough tools to work with.
“Staff members were infected with COVID-19 and adequate measures have not been taken to curtail the spread. The meeting resolved that safety of staff should be prioritised. Furthermore, the office environment should be fumigated immediately,” the communiqué read.
