With eight days to the end of the SIM card registration exercise directed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the commission has said that it has no plans to extend the exercise. It would be recalled that the telecommunications regulatory body had stipulated that there should be a registration exercise of all SIM cards, both new and existing ones, from March 28 to September 28, 2011.
The regulatory body had earlier disclosed that upon the expiration of the six months registration exercise, cell phone consumers who failed to comply with the directive would be shut down by the service providers.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP yesterday, the Head, Media and Public Relations, NCC, Reuben Muoka, said there was no extension in sight.
Mouka stated this following concern in some quarters about the feasibility of the commission to adequately capture the remaining cell phone users within the remaining eight days.
He said: “There has been a six-month window as stipulated by the commission for people to register and I know most people have been captured in the exercise so far.”
On the practicability of adequately capturing phone users living in the rural areas, he said villages have been covered.
According to him: “Our people have been deployed to register people in rural areas and all sorts and manner of places. I believe they have been adequately captured unless those people who did not avail themselves of the opportunity to register when they were in their area.
“And in that case, we cannot play witchcraft by registering people who did not come out or force them to come out against their will.”
He urged consumers to ensure that they register their SIM cards before the expiration date for the exercise.