Mobile operators have said that SIMs cards with unlinked but submitted National Identity Numbers (NINs) would not be blocked as the Federal Government’s deadline elapsed on Tuesday.
The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, said that subscribers who have submitted their NIN to their service providers NIMC will not be blocked even though it is not yet linked.
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Adebayo who spoke on behalf of the telecommunications companies including Airtel, MTN, Globacom, and 9Mobile said “If you already have your NIN and you have delivered the number to your service provider and it has been acknowledged and forwarded to NIMC, I don’t think the penalty will be there for you as from tomorrow (Tuesday) if your SIM has not been registered with the NIN.”
“This is because as far as you are concerned as a subscriber, you have uploaded that number to your operator and forwarded to NIMC.
“Now the further interrogation of that means that you are not supposed to be penalized because you have done what you are required to do to your service provider and to NIMC.”
However, Adebayo said the penalty would be mainly for those who do not have the NIN and who were unable to deliver their NINs to their service providers.
“So those in the problem category are those who do not have the NIN and who have not delivered the NIN to their service providers by 11:59 Tuesday 19th January 2021.
“Therefore if you as a subscriber have submitted your NIN to your service provider and this has been forwarded to NIMC, at this stage I am not aware of any penalty for you,” he said.
Recall that the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communication Commission had ordered telecommunications companies to deactivate telephone lines of subscribers who failed to link their phones to their National Identity Number, while subscribers without NIN have until February 9 to do so.
By: Authentic Mike
