Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state has charged Abians to register in the National Identity Card project so as to obtain the multifunctional Electronic identity card which will help government in planning for the economic benefit of its citizenry.
Speaking during the formal presentation of his National Identity Card at Government House Umuahia, by officials of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abia, Governor Ikpeazu said the event has put to rest the numerous rumours concerning the efficacy of the National identity project.
Ikpeazu while stressing the importance of the multifunctional electronic identity card, said government will require inputs from the robust data already in the data base of the NIMC to assist its plans for social and economic development of the teeming Abia populace.
He said: ” I am excited at the prospect of the card and the kind of data it bears. I am a firm believer that data is key to all kinds of things especially regarding planning, social care and economic development.
”There is hardly anything anybody can do in terms of crime prevention and control that data is not important. I want to recommend your efforts to Nigerians to embrace and see it as their own”.
He commended the NIMC for the robust planning put in place as well as the depth reached in trying to mobilise Abians to register adding that the Deputy Governor, Ude Oko Chukwu is heading a strong committee charged with the responsibility of ensuring that Abians register in their numbers within the shortest possible time.
Ikpeazu said his administration will support the commission to ensure the success of their assignment in the state.
Earlier while presenting the national identity card to Governor Ikpeazu, leader of the NIMC delegation, Loveday Chika Ogbonna, said that number of registered Abians on the scheme is not encouraging, urging them to key into the project as it will assist government plan for the economic benefit of its citizens.
According to him,with the rich database, government will be able to allocate resources and plan government services for the citizenry.
Ogbonna said the multifunctional electronic identity card will among other things enable the user to make purchases online,adding that the card if preloaded can take up to five million naira and can be used both within and outside the country.
