The Federal Government has laid off over 3,000 workers at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), leaving only 500 that possess the minimum entry qualification of first degree or a higher national diploma (HND).
The exercise, LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday in Abuja, was with effect from July 31, 2012, which resulted in a violent demonstration by the affected officers calling for the dismissal of the Director-General, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, yesterday.
The Commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Anthony Okwudiofar, in a press statement revealed that the exercise was in line with equel to the Federal Government policy on Civil Service Reform of 2006, requesting all civil servants to improve on their educational qualifications.
He said: “NIMC, after taking over both assets and liabilities of the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR), inherited a bloated staff strength that is too big to manage in an IT-driven Commission.
“Consequently, NIMC carried out personnel audit in 2011 to determine the actual number of staff in its workforce and to also find out the number of staffers that have acquired additional qualifications needed to deliver on the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project. Over 500 staffers were found to have acquired additional qualifications and were all cleared and absorbed into the system.”
He recalled that the NIMC was set-up by an Act of Parliament 2007 to establish, manage, operate and maintain National Identity Management System (NIMS), noting that it cannot afford delay in delivering on its mandate by the continued retention of huge number unqualified of staff.
“The outcome of this staff personnel audit five years after Federal Government’s implementation of the directive for Civil Service Reform, the NIMC Board considered and approved a new structure that has room for only Nigerians with a minimum of first Degree or HND as the entry qualification in the NIMC,” he explained.