Anambra State Government Needs To Issue Identity Cards To Residents

Prince Chris Azor

There is urgent need for residents within Anambra State to be issued with identity cards, through a State’s managed motor vehicle departments and local government Areas/Communities.

This type of service would help to improve proper data and record-keeping of State’s residents and the process should be linked to local, State, and national data files that would also help to guard against duplications of enrolled identities of individuals including, guidance against identity theft.

Basically it is to curb growing insecurity across the State, and country, as this data including fingerprints would be linked with security agencies for proper identification and fishing out of those who are into criminality.

The principal goal of the State ID Card should be to serve residents adequately through better planning. With informed data, the State government would have enough information to plan, including knowing what and where to site facilities, as well as which should be upgraded. It is not just for identification but also a tool to simplify how residents access government social services and financial tractions.

The Card should have a chip for technology driven operationalization and linkage.

Also, the State-issued ID cards would serve as an added identification card to any other form(s) of identification(s) that a bearer already has.
The Card should be issued through biometric capturing, and revalidated after a stipulated period of time.

The possession of a State-issued ID card would be an acceptable alternative for people that have no national passport to present as a primary identification when requested by banks, airlines, hotels, hospitals, courts, law enforcement agencies, schools, potential employers, and other related businesses.
In today’s time and age, many countries globally have data control/record-keeping systems that track day-to-day activities of their citizens all year round, and record of lifelong activities that take place within and outside their operational functions including the world’s counterparts.

This tracking system helps States and countries to be abreast of goings on within their borders or occurrences in the past, in order to plan affairs accordingly, while addressing global issues around countries that they collaborate with on several matters.

Unfortunately, most countries in Africa including Nigeria cannot be proud to say that they have reliable tracking system to adequately account for their population from young to old; and this has been a major drawback on development, peace, unity, and progress.

Due to these lapses, Nigeria has been over the years a fertile ground, where corruption and fraud have thrived unabatedly, making it difficult to also track down criminal elements that get away with their dastardly acts.

Issuance of Identity Cards should be decentralized to the State, local government levels and Communities. This has been done in the issuance of Identification Letter by the Local Government Councils and State Liaison Offices in Lagos, Abuja and some other States of the Federation.

It is now imperative to have this issuance done at the communities, local and State government levels because it would add value to the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations as she would be seen as a serious country with authentic and reliable data of her citizens hence, attract investors and development partners.

In addition to the above, the States and Federal Government of Nigeria should include the issuance of National and State Welfare Cards (WCs) which would be an equivalent of (Social Security Card issued by the Federal Social Security Administration Department of the United States)
When activated it would be issued to Nigerians including, newborn babies from active productive through retirement, to assist citizens if they suffer any form of disabilities down the line.

This initiative has become imperative considering the spate of crime and general insecurity across the State and indeed most parts of the country.

Also, our development as a State is always hindered for the mere fact that we don’t know exactly how many we are. This has over the years made us depend on stuff like, United Nations population statistics, population figures issued by World Bank, and other international organizations. We lack reliable data and figures of ourselves. All sectors of our economy have similar problems that make it difficult attract investors.

Recall that sometimes in the year 2010, Anambra State Government planned to issue identity cards to the residents to curb what it described then as the “high level of insecurity” in the State.
The initiative was abandoned probably due to lack of political will.

Lagos State that we often compare to, operates a State Identity Card issuance regime, through the Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA).
The scheme mandates all property owners to register for the Lagos Identity Card.

In conclusion, the implementation of State’s issued Identification and Social Welfare Card (SWC) will help Anambra, other States in Nigeria and the Federal Government to maintain adequate identification and profile-based tracking system of her citizens and residents with minimal issues or loopholes.

It would also, help in innovative operationalization and management of a State Social Security and Protection Policy activities. And much more.

It’s therefore, imperative that Anambra State Government reflect on the current existential challenges of insecurity that citizens face, and commence without further delay, the process of implementing a State Identity Card issuance regime.

Prince Chris Azor is Chairman, Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET) and Co-Chair Open Government Partnership (OGP)

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