Registration for and collection of National ID cards have suffered setback in Ogbomoso zone of Oyo state following the breakdown of one of the badge machines being used for the purpose and retrieval of another to Iseyin in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo state.
Ogbomoso zone has six registration centres for the National ID card – Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Oriire, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa local governments, well as another at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso.
However, as at the time of filing this report, that of Ogbomoso North local government at Oja’gbo, which is the coordinating or head office in the zone, has broken down while that of Oriire was taken away to Iseyin in Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo state about two years ago.
Efforts to speak with the head of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Ogbomoso zone, who will not even give his name proved abortive as he insisted he is a civil servant and could not talk to the press.
It is nevertheless found out that since the breakdown of that of Oja’gbo, people are being turned away for the registration and directed elsewhere. “This has cut down the number of registrants for the exercise and is already putting the zone at a disadvantage,” a source told ogbomosoinsightonline.com. Continuing the source said, “Efforts to have another one sent to the office has not been successful. I learnt the workers there have been meeting with relevant people including Ogbomoso highly placed people to redress the situation but all to no avail. It is something serious seeing people being turned away.”
Some people who came for the collection of ID card at Oja’gbo and were turned back for lack of machine expressed their dissatisfaction to ogbomosoinsightonline.com, “We have been trying to register for the National ID card in view of its importance yet we are not able to accomplish it. They keep on telling us the machine is faulty and that we should go elsewhere. That is not convenient. They should please do something about it.”
Findings revealed that between 20 and 30 registration centres are in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, it is hoped the numbers in Ogbomoso will be increased too while the damaged one and the one taken to Iseyin will be replaced so as not to deny people their right.
