Reps To Probe Abuja and Lagos CCTV

The House of Representatives on Thursday have revisited the CCTV contract won by Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation in 2010.

The $470m contracts that was awarded  under Late Umar Yar’ adua administration  is to provide a Closed Circuit Televison Camera both in Abuja and Lagos.

With the recent multiple bomb attack in Nyanya and Kuje and two satellite town in Federal Capital Territoty where over 15 people were killed and several injured , the leadership of the House , find it disturbing that despite the huge amount involved in the contracts, the CCTV has failed to work and yet to capture any Terrorist.
As a result of this, two lawmakers, Mr. James Faleke and Mr. Adekoya Adesegun, jointly moved a fresh motion calling for another investigation on Thursday.

Adesegun, who led the debate, recalled that the aim of the CCTV contracts was to “facilitate real time communication between security agencies to enhance their capacities to monitor and nip in the bud any criminal act before it is committed.”

However, he expressed concern that the aim had been defeated with the failure of the firm to complete the installation of the cameras and make them functional.

Adesegun added that the contractual terms involved the down payment of 15 per cent ($70.5m) by the Federal Government, while the Chinese EXIM Bank would pay the balance of 85 per ($399.5m) to be repaid within 10 years at the prevailing interest rate.

He also told the House that there were several other projects involving Nigeria and Chinese firms that had suffered a similar setback.

He observed that the Chinese would usually ensure that loans given to Nigeria were tied to projects, which must be executed by the Chinese companies.
To keep to such terms, the lawmaker noted that Nigeria’s laws and “due process in the award of contracts are short-changed in the contract-bidding process.”

It was a motion which received the backing of both the majority and minority caucuses in the House.
The House Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, advised that the investigation should ask specific questions this time round.

Gbajabiamila added, “Who signed the contracts with company? Was it the Police or the Federal Capital Territory Administration? There has been a lot of buck-passing on these contracts? Did the department that award contracts have the power to sign on behalf of Nigeria?

“What is the role of private firms in security issues? Do we now farm out national security matters to private companies, foreign firms?

“There is so much to ask in this matter, which we must take seriously.”

The Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor, spoke along the same line.

“We have to take a stand; the era of exploitation has gone,” he stated.

The House passed the motion in a unanimous voice vote at the session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

Comments

comments