Bight Newspaper reports that the Bayelsa State Government has expressed its commitment to collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to establish more data capture and registration centers across the state.
This decision was made known by the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, during a meeting with the State Director of NIMC, Mr. Stephen Inokoba, and other staff members at Government House, Yenagoa, on Thursday.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo commended the State Director and his team for their patriotism and dedication to ensuring that the people of Bayelsa are not left out of the National Identity Number (NIN) registration exercise.
He noted that the state government is willing to work with NIMC to create more registration centers in all 32 Rural Development Authority (RDA) headquarters and local government areas, including populous rural communities.
The Deputy Governor expressed concern that Bayelsa has the lowest number of registered individuals, with less than one million people registered so far, due to the closure of several NIN registration centers across the state.
He emphasized that this situation is unacceptable and unfair, especially considering the state’s strategic position and natural endowments.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo debunked the notion that Bayelsa is the smallest state in Nigeria, highlighting its vast landmass and natural resources. He assured the NIMC team that the state government will spare no effort in ensuring the success of the registration exercise.
The State Director of NIMC, Mr. Stephen Inokoba, revealed that the low registration rate in Bayelsa is mainly due to ignorance and apathy among the population. He explained that several registration centers had been closed, and equipment redeployed to other states before his posting to Bayelsa.
Mr. Inokoba appealed to the state government to support the commission in establishing more registration centers and encouraged the people to take the registration exercise seriously.
The Deputy Governor has scheduled a meeting with local government chairmen and RDA counterparts to discuss the establishment of more registration centers. This collaboration aims to change the narrative that Bayelsa is a small state and ensure that all citizens are registered and have access to the benefits of the NIN.
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