I remember watching the movie ‘my name is Khan’ directed by Karan Johar and enjoyed it. The hero of the movie had a need to identify who he was so that he would not be judged or treated unfairly. ‘My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist.’ Rizvan Khan said over and over again. The movie struck a chord in my heart and made tears almost roll down my cheeks. I said to myself ‘what kind of situation would make me scream out or speak out ‘“My name is Yeside and I am not corrupt.” ’ How bad a situation that would be! How bad for those who experience such now! I am however lucky that I have an identity. Not just an identity, an Identity recognized by law.
I was at a meeting recently where they discussed birth registration. At first, I asked myself what good the meeting will be. As I sat glued to the chair, the speaker, a representative of the chairman of the National population commission, discussed the importance of civil registration and its benefits. Of all he said, what struck me the most was that a person whose birth is not registered in Nigeria does not exist. To not exist means not to be alive. Visualize yourself standing in the midst of a crowd. Everyone is walking around you. There is no friendly face in sight and no one gazes at you. You enter a shop to pick up a snack and you shout ‘hello, can I have a doughnut?’ but no one responds. They talk as if you are not there. That is because you are not there. Your voice cannot be heard, you simply do not exist.
In 2010, it was estimated that there would be about 5 million births in Nigeria and at the end of the year records showed that only about 1, 050, 604 births were registered. What happened to the rest of the 4 million children born? Not quite existing? Research has shown that children who are unregistered are often children whose parents are displaced due to war or civil conflicts, children from localities where there is low awareness of birth registration, especially rural and remote communities, as well children born in very poor families, orphans or children whose parents have separated, divorced or widowed and children of single mothers/teenage mothers/out of school girls children born by abused or sexually exploited girls and women. Do not say to yourself ‘But I talk to people, I buy drugs, I can buy food because I speak and can be heard and no one would ask for a birth certificate before any transaction. Besides, what good will a birth certificate do for you?’
We are all created by God, we all do exist but LEGALLY anyone whose birth is not registered does not exist. He or she is not eligible for healthcare, admission into school, voting, obtaining a passport, employment, etc. If such a person is trafficked for the purpose of labor or prostitution, that individual cannot be defended legally because his/her identity is in question. Would they be able to say that you are a Nigerian? You could pass as someone from Niger or Cote d’ Ivore or Ghana. You would not be identified by your tribal marks or your gapped teeth neither can you say you are a Nigerian because you speak Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Gbagyi, Gwari. The benefits of vital registration are many and should not be undermined. Encourage your friends, co-workers, helpers, labourers, every one you know, to register their children and get themselves registered.
Birth registration is a permanent and official record of a child’s existence. It is the first step towards recognizing a child’s inalienable right as a human being. Rizvan Khan, though he had Asperger’s syndrome, knew who he was and what he stood for. Like him, I can proudly say that my name is Yeside and I am a Nigerian. If you have any doubts about this, please take a short trip to Ebute Metta and check the records there.
