The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the daily and complete of change of names by some persons in the classified pages of national newspapers.
The House also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Police to check the antecedents of new applicants for the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as the frequent change of names in national dailies could be a way to circumvent the process and perpetrate fraudulent acts.
Consequently, the House mandated its Standing Committees on Information, Police, Judiciary and Banking and Currency to investigate the matter.
The resolutions were sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent matter of public importance tagged “Motion on Rampant Change of Names as Published in Newspapers and Implication of Fraud and the Danger it poses to National security” sponsored by Hon. Danburam Nuhu Abubakar.
While moving the motion, the lawmaker said: “those changing their names may have been doing so for other reasons that might be dubious or pose security challenges.”
“The change of name might be linked to the recent CBN’s BVN policy as a way of circumventing the programme,” he added.
On his part, Hon. Garba Datti said the motion was timely in view of how national dailies carry “5 to10 pages” of change of names on a daily basis, which call for concern on Nigeria’s national security.
Also speaking, Hon. Simon Arabo, opposed the motion, citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, where freedom of expression for all Nigerians was guaranteed emphasising that the constitution has provided for such liberty.
