Another needless venture in Ondo

He added that it will give “residents equal access to government’s social and welfare services and let government at every point to monitor the distribution of such services even at the remotest parts of the state.” It is also expected to ensure security of lives and property, project monitoring and citizens’ feedback as well as […]

He added that it will give “residents equal access to government’s social and welfare services and let government at every point to monitor the distribution of such services even at the remotest parts of the state.” It is also expected to ensure security of lives and property, project monitoring and citizens’ feedback as well as transparency and accountability.
The governor disclosed during the flag off of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) that the state government had enumerated 2,741 towns, hamlets and villages and identified 2,010 centres for the scheme.
Ahead of its implementation, the state government through the commissioner of information, Mr.Kayode Akinmade, directed those who had not obtained their cards to do so through the civic data centres in their respective local government areas before the July 2 date.
From all indications, the Ondo scheme is not different from the Lagos initiative which was also aimed at aiding planning, budgeting and determining the number of people to be provided for in terms of social services. 
We believe any programme which enhances efficient planning and allocation of resources for the citizens is a welcome development but there seems to be a worrisome tilt to this initiative. The state government said the scheme is voluntary, yet it plans to use the card as prerogative to accessing its facilities.
Some of these services, according to officials, are the school shuttle bus scheme for children and free healthcare services for pregnant women in government hospitals. The card is also said to be a precondition for accessing subsidised agricultural inputs among other social benefits.
This is totally absurd. This scheme, if anything, only aims to alienate and deprive some segments from accessing social services. By the way, with the recent experience over voters’ registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Bank Verification Number, it is impossible for the state government with its limited personnel and equipment to claim it could register all its residents in an exercise such as this. 
More worrisome is the revelation that the state government also wants to use the exercise to “checkmate the influx of many other Nigerians from other states who are depriving residents from benefiting from the dividends of democracy.’’
What this means is that those who may not necessarily reside in Ondo State but do business there and even pay taxes to the state government will be discriminated against. This is indeed a disturbing signal and we urge a rethink on the part of the initiator of the scheme.
Besides, the scheme is needless, especially with the recent directive by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) that all transactions involving the identification of individuals must be done with the National Identification Number (NIN) from September 1. The commission insisted that any government agency, bank, insurance company and all other institutions offering services and/or involved in transactions requiring the identity of an individual must first demand for the NIN.
All the state government needs to do is to encourage residents to key into the NIMC’s initiative which is all-encompassing rather than embarking on an apparently wasteful enterprise.