The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), umbrella body for all Information Technology (IT) professionals, has thrown its weight behind President Muhammadu Buahri on the need for a harmonised national database for the country.
Buhari had recently given directive to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that collect biometric data, to harmonise the collection and usage of biometric data instead of replicating efforts.
Welcoming the directive, the President of NCS, Prof. Shola Aderounmu, said it became imperative, considering the huge cost implication biometric exercises have caused taxpayers in the past, especially in terms of cost of data acquisition, cost of personnel, cost of storage of acquired data and cost of making such data available. This is in addition to the general inconveniences to citizens who repeatedly have to queue long hours for registration, he said.
"Therefore it delights us as a society that this cooperative model of data acquisition but vested in one agency of government is being embraced. It is a right and fundamental step towards a true e-government society and will assist in the fight against crimes when agencies drew data from the same database. As the nation may want to say that in our communiqué aftermath the 11th International Conference and 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society in 2013, we had strongly canvassed for new ways of governance," Aderounmu said.
He listed the new ways to include: e-government when properly deployed is able to deliver continuous optimisation of service delivery to the citizens thereby engendering the attainment of the vision 20-20:20 of the federal government; that in deploying e-government services, it is imperative to embrace cooperative model of governance, which brings together the government, the governed, the civil society, professional bodies and other relevant stakeholders.
"As a stakeholder in the Nigeria project and the umbrella organisation of all information technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria, the Nigeria Computer Society wish to affirm our support for this directive. We however wish to emphasize on the need to evolve enabling technology and legal framework for storing, protecting and making available the data acquired and to safeguard the privacy of citizens personal identifiable information, such that the data are not in any way use for adversarial purposes. NCS is ready and willing to render technical assistance and support in the monitoring of the capability deployment of this enviable project," Aderounmu said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Emma Okonji
Quelle/Source: THISDAY Live, 17.08.2015
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