Lawmakers oppose N6b plan to register SIM cards

The controversial registration of phone users by the Nigeria Communication Commission breaches sections of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, lawmakers argued on Thursday, in support of their opposition to attempts by the NCC to conduct the N6.1bn exercise.

The prolonged debate between majority of the House of Representatives members opposed to the plan, and the House communication committee which supports it, reached new heights yesterday with lawmakers citing the anti-419 Act to defeat the plan, and also naming an Ad hoc committee on the matter.

Within 10 days, the House ruled, the new committee comprising of heads of three other related committees, would meet with Dave Salako, the communication chairman, and resolve how the planned registration infringes on section 12 and 13 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act.

The committees involved are Ethics and Privileges, Drugs, Narcotics and Anti-Corruption and the committee on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Against the proposed registration which Mr. Salako has come to be identified with, the sections of the 2006 law puts the responsibility of registration on the telephone operators, which a majority of the House members have argued for more than three months now.

The section says “Any person or entity providing an electronic communication service or remote computing service either by e-mail or any other form shall be required to obtain from the customer or subscriber full names; residential address.”

Further details of the section outlines penalties for a defaulting user or provider. According to the edict, the defaults are to be administered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The Act stood central to the lawmakers’ opposition to the NCC’s plan yesterday, as the budget of the commission came up for discussions again.

Although the entire budget is meant for 2010, it has yet to be finalised by the House, barely two months to the end of the year, solely on account of the contentious registration plan which members have faulted.

Whose interest is it?

Representatives have maintained that the responsibility of the exercise is that of phone operators and not the regulator, the NCC. The N6.1 billion is to cater for an exercise estimated at N120 per user within six months.

Defending the plan in an interview with NEXT a fortnight ago, the NCC spokesperson, Reuben Mouka, said the commission is concerned about the exercise, since the operators have protested that they cannot complete the work within the given time.

The operators are said to be arguing for three years, against the six months the commission claims it wants because of the upsurge in kidnapping, supposedly to forestall losing customers that may be disconnected if there is no sufficient time.

“We don’t believe that N6.1bn for millions of users is too much. Security of lives is not comparable to N120 per person,” Mr. Muoka, the NCC head of public affairs, said.

Some members also told NEXT they fear the resolved attempt to pass the bill may point at other interests.

“For me, I would not know what is beyond,” said Sekonte Davies, a member from Rivers State.

“But I don’t care whose ox is gored; I believe there are certain interests who want to use the opportunity to siphon money. I may not know them, but I believe very strongly that it could have political purposes.”

The House spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, denied that charge at a news conference yesterday. He said the recurrence of the rejected bill does not imply other motives.

“We are not promoting any interest,” he said.