THOUSANDS of mobile phone subscribers across the country on Monday failed to register their cards biometrically due to gridlock of the verification system at the National Identification Authority (NIDA).
It was a bleak day for a big number of mobile phone users, whose efforts to beat yesterday’s deadline for unregistered SIM cards, ended in vain with the system overwhelmed.
“Many people turned out for biometric registration at the last minute as a result overwhelming the system at NIDA,” an official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview.
The Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Engineer Isack Kamwelwe, was clear-cut that all unregistered SIM cards would be switched off by midnight yesterday.
“All SIM cards which have not been registered biometrically will be switched off by midnight today (Monday) and there will not be any extension of the deadline,” Eng Kamwelwe told ‘Daily News’ over the phone.
A mini-survey conducted by this paper countrywide found out that many people failed to register their SIM cards much as they possessed the national identity card or the national identity number (NIN).
In Kilimanjaro Region, mobile phone subscribers appealed to the government to extend the deadline for the registration exercise.
A number of desperate phone owners who were yet to get national identification cards or numbers from NIDA in downtown Moshi, claimed they were innocent, hence erroneously punished.
They attributed non-registration to insufficient time and inefficient services provided by NIDA officials.
One of the residents, Anaeli Mallya, said the citizens took the registration exercise seriously but lack of national IDs failed quite a good number of them.
“Most of us came to realise of the biometric registration after public awareness campaigns concerning the exercise and when President John Magufuli personally took part in the exercise,” he said.
Mr Leonard Chirwa, on his part said he started following up his ID since last September but he is yet to get hold of the card.
Long queues were spotted in the country’s capital of Dodoma as people desperately raced against the deadline, trying to rescue their numbers from being switched off.
However, many of them were left flabbergasted by the slowness of the verification system by NIDA.
At the famous Nyerere square grounds in the city, many people expressed their disappointment after being informed that the network had stuck.
All mobile phone providers had set up booths at the square to reduce long queues at their offices.
Equally, NIDA and the Immigration Department in Dodoma Region had as well put up their booths at the square.
“I have just finished registering myself at NIDA but I have been asked to go and collect my number at the office after three weeks…it is obvious that from midnight I won’t be reachable until after three weeks,” said Mary Jackson, a resident of Dodoma.
From Mwanza, SULEIMAN SHAGATA reports that plenty of people failed to register their SIM cards biometrically due to breakdown of the NIDA verification system.
Mobile phone subscribers were stranded at mobile phone service providers’ kiosks in many parts of the rock city region.
An employee at one of Vodacom Tanzania’s shops who claimed anonymity told ‘Daily News’ that the verification system at NIDA has been slow since last Friday.
“Normally the system works properly at night. We’re going to work 24 hours today,” the Vodacom staff stated.
Ms Christina Daudi from Kitangiri Ward, in Mwanza region claimed to have arrived at the Vodacom shop at 9.00am for registration but the verification system was not functioning until 03:00pm.
She pleaded with TCRA to extend the deadline, arguing that many Tanzanians are yet to register their SIM cards biometrically.
Similar problems were reported in other regions including Morogoro, Manyara, and Arusha.
A registration officer at NIDA in Morogoro Region, Mr James Malimo, said the authority had dispatched its officials across the region to ease registration and issuance of national identity cards and numbers.
From Manyara, MARIAM JUMA reports that residents who failed to beat the registration deadline appealed for extension as they blamed the verification system’s sluggishness.
They complained that deactivation of their SIM cards would be unfair since they were failed by the NIDA system during the last days of registrations, ascribing the inefficiency to poor or lack of network service in some areas.
Mr John Walter from Babati Rural District laid blame on NIDA, alleging that the authority had failed to serve customers properly.
Ms Restituta Martin also blamed NIDA, saying she completed the registration process a long time ago, but when she made a follow-up to get her ID she was told there were some names, including hers, that overlapped, hence she had to start the procedure afresh.
In Arusha, people were trying by all means to beat the deadline, although it was apparent that many would miss it.
While some people had been visiting the NIDA offices at Kisongo for awhile to get their numbers or IDs for the mandatory biometric registration, many more poured at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium for the same cause at rush hour.
Miriam Bayo who sells fruits at Kilombero Market near the City Centre, said she did not work the whole day, dedicating it to getting her NIN, but until 1715hrs she appeared pessimistic of getting it for registration of her two SIMs.
There was good news to others though, as NIDA kept sending some NIN numbers to those who had completed registration processes on time.
“At last I have my number now … I had stopped making any follow-up because I was tired, but here is a message from NIDA, informing me of my number (NIN), said Mr Alfei Jotta, a driver who works along Arusha – USA road, before heading for biometric registration of his SIM card.
