The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, says his life has been under threat because of the National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage policy.
He stated this on Friday while speaking at an event held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Pantami who highlighted some of the benefits of the integration exercise said many criminally minded persons rose in criticism against him for driving the implementation of the policy.
Apart from the threat to his life, the minister hinted that campaigns of calumny were allegedly sponsored against him to stop the policy.
The event was organised to commemorate the fourth National Identity Day with the theme ‘Traditional Institution as Critical Stakeholders for Citizens Mobilisation’.
It was attended by various stakeholders, including the Director-General /Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz.
Aziz, who gave the welcome address at the event, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the support he has granted to the commission throughout the lifespan of his administration.
“The support of Mr President to NIMC goes to show the importance he places on digital identity,” he said.
“He may not be physically here with us today on this occasion of the fourth edition of Nigeria’s commemoration of Identity Day, but it was the approval Mr President gave in 2019 for every 16th September to be officially marked as Identity Day in Nigeria that provided the platform for today’s ceremony.”
The NIMC chief also thanked the minister whom he said has been at the forefront of spearheading the commission’s programmes.
With the transfer of NIMC to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, he said the commission’s fortunes have grown even better and stronger.
