Senior NID officer clarifies ‘glitch’ in system

A senior National Identification (NID) project officer has refuted the Acting Registrar General’s reasons behind the glitch in the system.

Noel Mobiha made a statement following a system shutdown at the National Identification office last Wednesday, attributing it to an overload of the system as well as the power blackouts.

The staff (name withheld due to safety concerns), instead believes the shutdown was a result of the Civil Registration System’s failure to communicate with the Card Management System (CMS) due to ‘tampering’.

Both systems work hand in hand; the registration system records information/data then sends it to the card management system.

“The design of the Civil & Identity Registration System (CIRS) is unique and complex. The primary data is generated during birth registration and this information interconnects with NID, death and marriage information,” this newsroom was told.

“If one field in the births registration software is changed or tampered with, it will affect the NID, death and marriage information.

“The issue is IT related and it is obvious both systems have been tampered with therefore the information registered across the country and uploaded in the CIRS is not received at the NID Haus, including the CIRS uploading NID card information is not received by CMS to print the NID cards.

“The registration system came to stand still as of 18th December, 2018, until one of the former IT officer was hired and he restored the system on the 21st January, 2018, at about 2pm.”

Unfortunately, the NID system went down again.

The NID staff pointed out that one of the main reasons why the NID project continues to face the same issues – since its inception in 2013 – is because of the recruitment of new staff who lack experience.

“Especially at management level. Though the Minister is doing his best, his management is failing him and the citizens of this country.”

Author: 
Carmella Gware