The Federal Government has given NCC up to September 25 to cut off 2.224million improperly registered SIM cards from telecom networks in the country. The government had announced last week that there were 9.2m improperly registered SIM cards, posing huge security risk to the country.
But the Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami yesterday said about 6.775m from the sum had been rectified. Dr Pantami therefore gave directive to NCC to block the remaining 2.242m SIM users if they fail to reregister their data before September 25, 2019. He spoke in his office in Abuja, Monday after he inaugurated the newly constituted NCC board.
“I have a breaking news for you: after my announcement last week of the 9.2m SIM cards in circulation, NCC Executive Vice Chairman has just briefed me that about 6.775m have rectified. “This means we have only 2.242m yet to be rectified. So we want them to be properly on or before 25th September, 2019”, the Minister said. He said after the deadline, NCC should rein in on the telecom operators and block the subscribers. Responding, the NCC board chairman, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye promised to carry out the minister’s directive.
