By Sodeinde Temidayo David
Employees of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) are presently dancing in jubilation after the federal government approved new conditions of service and raised their salary scale.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, during the public presentation of the approved condition of service, said the approval was done at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday and presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
At the presentation on Thursday, the Minister explained that he pushed for better pay for the NIMC staff as a result of the agency’s centrality in driving Nigeria’s digital economy, which was complemented with the approval of N25 billion for the upgrade of identity infrastructure across the country.
Mr Pantami noted that NIMC workers will now earn triple of what they currently take home monthly, including robust allowances, disclosing that the new annual salary scale has increased from N5 billion to N16.7 billion.
The Minister disclosed that implementing the new salary scale and the condition of services have been central to him since the commission was placed under his supervision in August 2020.
The annual salary scale usually was N5 billion to be paid to over N4,000 staff of NIMC, but with this approval, the salary has been catapulted to reach 16.7 billion, showing an increase of 11.7 billion, excluding the allowances that come with the new conditions of services.
The Minister, showing his gratitude, revealed that the FEC, with the N25 billion infrastructure upgrade fund for NIMC, will transform the commission from its obsolete state into a global competitor and champion.
According to him, the NIMC conditions of service was a comprehensive document, and that it would serve as the machinery through which the commission would articulate and implement its personnel policies and programmes.
Mr Pantami further stated that he was more concerned about the welfare of workers than himself, calling for greater commitment and diligence from NIMC workers in achieving Digital Nigeria.
He expressed that the NIMC plays a critical role that impacts the lives of every Nigerian and for people legally resident in the country and enjoined all staff to ensure diligence, security consciousness and dedication for the seamless operation and integrity of the National Identity Management System (NIMS).
On his part, the Director-General of NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, expressed his gratitude to the President for the speedy assent and approval of the new condition of service and salary structure.
He added that this was a demonstration of Mr Buhari’s faith, belief and support for the laudable achievements of the commission in recent years.
NIMC is a statutory Nigerian organization that operates the country’s national identity management systems and has recorded more than 60 million unique National Identification Number (NIN).
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