National ID registration authority in offing

THE decision to form a statutory body styled National Identities Registration Authority (NIRA) through an ordinance signals a significant move to provide a durable institutional basis for the issuance of national ID card. Its importance also lies in that it will give the needed legal cover to national ID card and voter registration project already undertaken by the Election Commission (EC).
Under the proposed ordinance, EC would hand over information, data and biometric features of the citizens collected so far to the new authority; and the already distributed ID cards would also come under NIRA's jurisdiction. In effect, we believe this will bring the issue of national identity card under a bigger administrative, legal and security umbrella.
Understandably, the draft ordinance, prepared by the ministry of law, will have to be approved by the EC and the advisory council before it is sent to the president for promulgation. Its passing through different phases should ensure the delivery of a well-crafted law that will enable the statutory body to handle the big and complex task involved with the required amount of efficiency.
From collection and preservation of data through issuance of identity cards to all voting-age citizens to their multiple use in terms of access to facilities, the functions are formidable, especially when this is for the first time that we are going for it.
Just as the approach must be all-inclusive, leaving out no genuine citizen so also it should be impervious to wrongful entries. The system has to be foolproof with all data entered into computers and centrally preserved but it cannot be all too cast-iron as modifications in individual informational status may have to be catered for. The provision against wrongdoing is important when the ID cards will be used not only as a proof of identity and a right to vote but also to obtain access to some 18 facilities like TIN, driving licence, bank loan, passport, only to name a few.
We are hoping that NIRA would be manned by persons of appropriate expertise and standing to be able to perform the job efficiently. It will be worthwhile to make the statutory body accountable to some authority.