Mixed reactions have trailed the Nigerian government’s new measure to stem the menace of phone related crimes in the country. The plan seems not to go down well with some telecom operators, who although appreciated the NCC plan as a good development in the telecom sector, but expressed fears that the implementation would cut down on the rapid sales of SIM cards, and as well cut down on the volume of calls that would have originated from the sales of those SIM cards.
The country’s telecom regulator, NCC, had in December 2009, announced it would commence SIM card registration in March 1, 2010, and would ensure that SIM cards are registered before they are activated for use.
While some Nigerians see the decision as a welcome development that will boost security condition in the country; others view it with skepticism saying that it will cut down on their revenue generation
Telecom operators, who spoke in anonymity, said they generate a lot of money from direct sales of SIM cards from street to street and in busy market places, but expressed fears that such hawking would stop with the implementation of SIM card registration, as Nigerians would not want to patronize street hawking for fear of activation.
With SIM card registration, the authorised dealer who sells SIM cards, must get security details of every buyer and forward such details to the operating company who must register the details against the SIM card before activating it.
The whole essence is to enable telecom operators to link every SIM card number to the identity of the actual owner.
If there is a threat call from a particular SIM card number for instance, chances are that the identity of the owner of the SIM card could be traced. Identity details include name, age, e- Passports; Corporate/Company or Work Place Identity Cards that has Pension Identification /Tax Numbers; Student ID Cards from recognised institutions; Drivers License issued by the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC; and E-Tax Cards.
Reacting to the fears of telecom operators, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, challenged telecom operators to choose between security of the country and
their business.
He called on operators to jettison their fears and put security and safety of lives first before business. He explained that if there was a breakdown in security, it would definitely affect the business of telecom operators.
ATCON, through Ekuwem, had been at the forefront canvassing for SIM card registration in order to curtail criminality perpetuated through mobile phones, and for operators to get a database of their subscribers.
Giving analysis with aviation security checks at various airports, police security checks at various checkpoints, security checks in homes and offices, Ekuwem said although such checks and their check points delayed movement, he maintained that they are good for security reasons in order to save lives and property.
Ekuwem decried a situation where kidnappers would be negotiating conditions for the release of their prey with the family of the victim and even with the Police, yet both the Police and the family would be helpless to trace and track such kidnappers whom he said may be calling from a close distance.
Ekuwem argued that if the SIM card with which people commit crimes with was registered on purchase, criminals could be traced through the identity given on SIM purchase.
“If this is put in place, it will reduce criminality, hooliganism, kidnapping, militancy, armed robbery, molestation with the use of mobile phones, among others.
Ekuwem, who commended NCC for the planned implementation of SIM card registration in the country, called on telecom operators to cooperate with NCC to ensure its success, just like in developed countries of the world.
Ekuwem commended the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the State Security Service (SSS) for their support for ATCON, when the association made public presentation in the past, for the commencement f SIM card registration in the country.
Ekuwem however warned against third party participation in SIM card registration.
He called on NCC to allow operators register and keep their customer base to themselves for security reasons, instead of allowing a separate company to be involved in the registration process.
With this, unauthorised persons will not get access to database of telecom subscriber, adding that banks keep records of their customers’ database by themselves and that such measures should be extended to telecom operators as well.
Before now, all SIM cards used across networks were not registered, and nobody could be traced to the location where calls originated from, when necessary.
The registration process, according to NCC, would include the capture of the photograph and biometrics of the subscriber.
Proxy registration shall be restricted to the direct families of persons seeking registration.
In South Africa and most developed countries, SIM cards are registered and security information collected and stored in database before they are activated.
The idea to commence same in Nigeria has however been greeted with divergent feelings from operators, stakeholders and subscribers alike.
By Ikechukwu Osodo
Good idea. What about SIM cards already in use?
I consider this the most unthought out idea of the century. Dont we have caller crimes in the first world? How about fake identities and privacy issues. No talk about that, just budget.
This is the most stupid idea knave ever heard… Do you really think a kidnapper will use his own number to call his”prey”. How stupid is that? Then meanwhile our details are shared around criminal foreign agencies.. I see no good in this. I can promise you many people will be scapegoats or victims of false identities.