The Human Rights Writers Association Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Monday urged Nigerians to massively boycott the National Identification Number (NIN) enrollment exercise.
HURIWA made the call in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The group said the Federal Government’s directive for the citizens to link their NIN to their Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards came at the wrong time and a threat to their lives.
It also described the federal government’s refusal to halt the NIN enrollment despite the COVID-19 pandemic as insensitive and irresponsible.
The statement read: “The reason for the people of Nigeria to protest against this policy of government is not that it is a bad policy; but the timing of the implementation of that policy is suicidal.
“That the Nigerian government has remained inconsiderate, irresponsible, insensitive, irresponsible and not being responsive to the agitation of millions of Nigerians that have called on the government to suspend the NIN enrollment exercise until such a time that the second wave of COVID-19 is checkmated, is disappointing.
“Therefore, the last card the people of Nigerians have is to massively protest either symbolically through active civil disobedience methodology or boycotts of the NIN enrollment exercise or physical demonstrations on the streets. We call on all Nigerians including policemen and women to protest.
“The protest does not mean physical protest alone unless they are pushed to their limits then they can come out wearing their face masks, observing physical distancing but anything other than this, the people can also boycott the exercise.
“Yes, the reason they should protest is because the timing of the exercise is a threat to their lives because the second wave of COVID-19 is on a global rampage and people are dying in their thousands in Nigeria and many who have attended that registration exercise have died from COVID-19. HURIWA has learnt of some fatalities related to that dastardly ill-timed exercise.”
