The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, expressed his concern over large crowds at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) centres, saying that the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment can wait to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

He said this on Monday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.

The Minister who is also a member of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 stated that “I don’t feel good looking at the picture where people are gathered in multitude. It is like a super-spreader event which we do not like. But I’m also aware that the relevant ministry which is the communications and digital economy is looking at this.

“My understanding is that the whole process may be suspended so as to reorder the whole process in terms of management of the crowd because it was never intended that it would become a rowdy process like that.”

He added, “We have a duty as government to ensure that people are protected. We also have a duty to ensure people comply within the limit of what is good for the society at large.”

Recall that NIMC workers embarked on strike on Thursday, last week, over exposure to COVID-19 risks, lack of personal protective equipment and poor funding but called off the industrial action some hours after the announcement.