OVERVIEW OF BIAFRA REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT IN EXILE (BRGIE) IDENTITY CARD (ID) APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION IN THE DATABASE

The Biafra government needs the database for national planning and efficient delivery of public services to YOU THE CITIZEN. As you register your data in the database, you will have the opportunity to apply for a BRGIE ID card. Your BRGIE ID card is an accessible and secure document that enables you to access privileges that BRGIE provides. BRGIE ID card can be presented as proof of identification when interacting with BRGIE, or as proof of your support for Biafra liberation. It can also be used as proof of age and Biafra citizenship. BRGIE ID card has a robust, multi-step fraud-prevention protocol that BRGIE developed in close collaboration with a reputable data verification/authentication company. BRGIE ID card is only for Biafrans residing outside of Biafra land and are legally residing in their country of residence, including asylees/refugees. The BRGIE ID card will be the pride of United States of Biafra (USB) and this ID card will be immediately recognized as trustworthy evidence of identification, when and wherever presented.

ID CARD FEATURES:

Your BRGIE ID card will be a dual-sided card that will include several unique features that give all of us the opportunity to show who we are - Biafrans. BRGIE ID card will contain your i) photograph, ii) full name, iii) date of birth, iv) country of residence, and a unique, randomly generated BRGIE Identification Number. The BRGIE ID card will also contain BRGIE logo as a visual security element to help protect against forgery. There are different types of ID card TYPE-A, TYPE-B, TYPE-C & TYPE-D. BRGIE ID cards meets international standard and the information of BRGIE ID card holders is protected.

The importance of Biafra database and benefits of registering your data as a citizen of the United States of Biafra

Documenting Population Statistics: The government of the United States of Biafra will use the database in documenting and organizing population statistics within Biafra territories for efficient and equitable planning and resource allocation.

Improved Services: Data collection will enable the Biafra government to better understand the needs of Biafra citizens. With accurate and up-to-date information, the Biafra government can plan and provide improved and equitable services, such as healthcare, education, and social amenities. A reliable database is the first step towards building a prosperous United States of Biafra. It is the only means to identify you as a Biafra citizen and to help you when you need the Biafra government to help you. Thus, as a Biafra Citizen, you must make yourself known to the Biafra government or you will not be a recognized Biafra citizen.

Targeted Policies: It is important that all Biafrans from the 40 United States of Biafra + Ebube register their data. Collected data will allow the Biafra government to identify specific demographics or regions that may require targeted government policies or interventions. This will result in effective and equitable distribution of Biafra government services to Biafra citizens.

Public Health Planning: Data collected from Biafrans from the 40 United States of Biafra + Ebube will help the Biafra government in planning and responding to public health challenges. For example, during a pandemic, data on the spread of the virus can help the Biafra government make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, vaccination strategies, and containment measures.

Infrastructure / Urban Planning: It is necessary that all Biafrans from the 40 United States of Biafra + Ebube register their data because the Biafra government needs your data to make informed policies about population density, traffic patterns, and infrastructure needs. Functional transportation systems, utilities/amenities, and other essential services will improve the lives of Biafra citizens.

Public Safety: The Biafra government will use the data to fight/control crime. The data will help Biafra law enforcement agencies identify trends in criminal activities, allocate resources strategically, and implement targeted crime prevention measures.

Emergency Response: It is the job of the Biafra government to protect Biafrans from crises or natural disasters. Accurate data will help the Biafra government provide timely and effective responses, including managing evacuations, providing emergency medical services, coordinating relief efforts, and identifying deceased citizens. For example, the flood of 2022 displaced over 204,339 people in Ogbaru alone and these citizens are still displaced, many are still missing and probably dead. Lack of a database makes it impossible for the government to account for the whereabouts of its citizens. This total neglect of the government's responsibility to the citizens will not happen in Biafra.

Social and Economic Planning: It is important that Biafrans from the 40 United States of Biafra + Ebube register their data because Biafra government will use the data for economic planning, job creation, minimum wage determination, poverty reduction planning, and unemployment benefits for those who can’t get a job.

Border Control and National Security: At the moment, the border in Northern Nigeria is porous because the Nigerian government wants Fulani from all over the world to migrate to Nigeria and hasten their Islamization/Fulanization agenda. Securing Biafra borders is an indispensable part of Biafra national security. The Biafra government will implement Smart Border management policies. The Biafra government will use the collected data to manage our borders in ways that protect the United States of Biafra from the threats of terrorist attack, illegal immigration, illegal drugs, while allowing legal trades.

Monitoring and Evaluation: The Biafra government will use the data to monitor the effectiveness of government policies and programs. Regular evaluation helps identify areas of success and those that may require adjustment.

An Independent United States of Biafra needs a Reliable Database: As a nation seeking recognition on the international stage, our government needs a functional database to know population density for equitable distribution of government services and to demonstrate that the government of the United States of Biafra can manage the population. A functional database will also demonstrate to the international community that the United States of Biafra is well organized and as such, will attract international corporations, such as education, trade, tourism/travel.

COST OF BRGIE ID CARD

The fixed cost of BRGIE ID card is $100. These fees cover the cost of card production and shipment to the applicant’s liaison office. Please arrange with your liaison staff on the method of ID card collection after the card arrives at the liaison office. Fees are non-refundable.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN BRGIE ID CARD APPLICATION

● Check that you are using the right application type.
● Check that you are eligible to apply.
● Check that you have met all the requirements before attempting to apply.
● Check that all the required documents are handy before starting the application.
● Check that you are able to upload documents, including passport photo and required ID.
● Check that you have a stable internet connection to allow you to complete the forms and upload required documents.
● Fill in the application forms and upload the required documents.
● Have the required application fee if you are applying for ID card.
● Follow the processing time and allow the processing period to elapse before making contact with BRGIE Liaison Offices.
● Schedule a visit to your nearest Biafra Liaison Office for identification and collection of your ID card upon a positive decision.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR BIAFRA ID CARD AND REGISTRATION IN THE DATABASE (as applicable)

To apply for the BRGIE ID card, you must meet the following requirements before your application can be considered for processing.
● You must be a Biafran born of a father and/or mother who by himself or herself is a Biafran.
● Your Biafra origin must be established within the 40 states of Biafra and Ebube.
● Your identity must be established beyond doubt, at the level of your kindred, with two separate recommendation letters from kindred functionaries or two referees to verify identity.
● You have reached the age of 18 (a dependent child below the age of 18 can apply for an ID card as a co-applicant with the parent/guardian principal applicant).
● Receipts of donations to Biafra liberation must accompany applications for special status.
● You must have a valid citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or temporary lawful status in your country of residence (in the case of asylees/refugees).
● If you have temporary lawful status, you must provide documentation to support your status.
● If your name has changed from the name on your passport or legal permit, you must provide original or certified copies documenting the change (marriage certificate, divorce decree, court issued document). If your name has changed multiple times, you must bring documents linking all names.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APPLYING FOR BIAFRA ID CARD AND REGISTRATION IN THE DATABASE (as applicable)

NOTE: This application is for you if you live outside the Biafra territory. All required documents must be scanned as colored and attached as requested. Photographed copies (with the phone) are not acceptable.
● Scanned copy of Birth Certificate if applicable. Or any document that attests to your date of birth, such notarized age declaration certificates.
● Scanned copy of country-issued ID (passport data page, driver’s license, valid residence permit, or a document showing the legality of your stay).Note Nigerian passport is not an acceptable means of identification.
● Passport photo (Please see the photo requirements on the next page)
● For Special Status ID card applicants, provide the following:
● Receipts of donations you made towards Biafra liberation. Your receipts must be arranged in chronological (starting with the earliest and following the order in which you made the payments) order.
● Active membership certificate from your current IPOB Autopilot group.
● BSRC 2023 participation certificate.
● Family members of special status applicants applying on the basis of donation receipts, must prove family relationships. Acceptable documents may include family photos, childhood photos, evidence of financial support rendered to the applicant, or a birth certificate in the event of a parent.

DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS THAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

● BRGIE reserves the right to not accept any application if it has a good faith reason (based on facts and observations, including statements from the applicant, or information obtained from reliable sources) to believe any of the following:
● Any document presented that is not genuine or has been altered, defaced, or rendered unreadable to the extent that it cannot be relied on.
● Any document that contains a photograph or photo image of the applicant that bears little or no resemblance to the applicant.
● The applicant is not the individual represented in the application and supporting documents.
● The applicant does not satisfy the requirement for BRGIE ID card.
● The applicant presented identification documents that were not validated as being issued to him/her or were not obtained in a lawful manner from the country of residence.
● The applicant presented a Nigerian passport. BRGIE and the United States of Biafra do not accept Nigerian passports as an official means of identification.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSPORT PHOTO

Dimensions of your digital photo
● Your photo must be 35mm x 45mm.
● Image quality must be at least 300 dots per inch (dpi).
● Ensure height of the face is between 32mm and 36mm, or equal to 70% to 80% of the photograph.

Photo Properties
● The expected dimensions is rectangular.
● The Photo must be coloured.
● Photo format should be JPEG file format.
● Editing or digitally manipulating your photo can ruin the quality.

Photo Tips
● Photo must be taken within the last 6 months.
● Ensure that your face is clear on the image.
● Photos with filters are not acceptable.
● Selfie photos are not acceptable.
● Wearing eyeglasses, earrings or other face jewelry are not acceptable.
● Only use a white or off-white background.
● Photos with shadows, texture, or lines are not acceptable.
● Expression should be ‘neutral expression’, ‘looking straight at the camera’ with ‘mouth closed’

Photo Position
● Your head facing forward.
● Your eyes horizontally aligned.
● Your head must not be tilted.
● Your shoulders must be straight.

Exception: physical or medical reasons
● There may be physical or medical reasons that make it impossible for an individual to meet the photo requirements. Further verification might be required, and the individual may be asked to submit a medical certificate to this effect.

Exception: children under 6
● Children under the age of 6 are exempt from the following requirements:
● Position ‘eyes horizontally aligned’, ‘head not tilted’ and ‘shoulders straight’.
Please note: If the child needs to be supported, this must not be visible in the photo. The supporting hand can be hidden under the child’s clothing.

ID Card PROCESSING TIME

When does the expected processing time begin counting?
The expected processing period begins from the date on which you receive a confirmation message of an application in process, after you have submitted the application through the website. After submitting the application through the website, your eligibility, requirements and all attached documents will be reviewed, and you will receive an email on the outcome.
If we require further information from you, the processing time of your application will be put on hold. Sometimes it takes a long time before we revisit your case and therefore, it is important to ensure that you meet the requirements. The processing time will continue after we have received the required information from you and have returned back to your case.
When do we stop counting?
The processing time ends once a decision has been made on your application. The delivery time of your identity card is not included in the processing time. Printing time takes about 2 weeks and posting the card to your regional liaison office might take up to 1 week.
Your Liaison office will contact you when your ID card is ready for pick up.

MAKING CHANGES TO APPLICANT INFORMATION

Please contact your Liaison administrator if you need to update your information. Only authorized officials can access the database to make such changes upon approval by BRGIE.

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY:

BRGIE will protect data confidentiality of all Biafrans to the maximum extent allowable by law. Data capturing, recording, storage, and access will be conducted in a manner that ensures the privacy of the applicants. BRGIE data capturing, storage and security protocols were designed in close collaboration with a reputable data verification/authentication company. The protocol ensures that data capturing is automated, sophisticated, yet user friendly. The data security protocol in place minimizes the risk of unauthorized access, use and disclosure of applicants' personal information. Storage of data will be in accordance with robust standards set by BRGIE IT team and committee charged with handling of confidential information. Hence, all data will be maintained on encrypted server/databases that is hosted and delivered over a network cloud server. All data transitions will be encrypted to prevent unauthorized use of the data.

Only trained and authorized staff directly involved in the administration of the BRGIE ID card and database management will have access to the BRGIE database. The authorized individuals will have the lowest level of access to data and database functionality necessary to perform their jobs. These individuals will not have editing privileges. Access to BRGIE database and servers will be tracked through audit logs for accountability. This will help monitor traffic to the database and users will be promptly identified. In the event of a data breach involving personal data (not expected), BRGIE will quickly notify impacted individuals.

To access information, a user must present a claim of identity, such as a username, which then must be verified by a password and authenticated by an additional factor.

BRGIE ID card program uses facial recognition technology (duplicate image search software) to protect against fraud and identity theft. ID card applicant photos uploaded and/or taken at the liaison office, will be screened by specially trained program integrity specialists to verify that the applicant is who he/she claims to be, and that the individual is not seeking multiple cards, or trying to obtain a card under a different name. Hence, improving security and minimizing fraud. Upon submission of application, the applicant will schedule an in person or virtual verification of documents and identification by Liaison official or the data verification/authentication company. This verification step is a requirement. Cards will be securely shipped to applicants using the most trusted shipping company contracted by BRGIE to ship ID cards. The cards will initially be shipped to Liaison offices. Applicants will be verified by the Liaison officer prior to the release of the cards. ID card collection MUST be done by the applicant not a proxy. If the applicant prefers the card to be shipped, the applicant will pay the shipping cost from the Liaison office to their residence.