The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has explained that although kidnappers and terrorists still negotiate for ransom using phone calls, a lot has been achieved since the linking of sim cards with the National Indentation Number (NIN) began.
The Minister made the explanation in Umuahia, Abia State, Saturday, during the World National Identify Day celebration.
He said that since the exercise commenced, there had been a significant drop in the number of calls by fraudsters to unsuspecting phone users.
He said that people should not expect the innovation to wipe out the evil overnight, arguing that it is a gradual process.
“The issue of Kidnappers’ calls has actually reduced, with respect to ransom, by phones. The sanitation of the existing system cannot be done overnight. It’s an ongoing process.
“Those 419 calls we normally get most of the time has actually reduced because most of the numbers now are attached to the NIN.
“It needs a little bit more time before the entire system will be completely sanitised. But a tremendous impact has been made so far.
“At least for the first time, most people are scared of doing certain things with their phone numbers – making malicious calls” he stated.
Professor Pantami was represented at the event by the Director Research and Development at the National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr Collins Agu who regretted that the public outcry that greeted the blocking of unregistered sim cards slowed down efforts towards sanitising the telecom system.
“Recall that when the Minister came and blocked a lot of numbers, there was outcry by the telecoms, and he relaxed a bit on humanitarian grounds.
“That is also slowing down the whole process because if he had gone the hardliner way, more would have criticized him. It’s a gradual process but some progress has been made.”
The Minister said that he had brought a lot of innovation in the Information Technology ICT, sector of the country.
