Reps to probe Abuja’s $460m CCTV contract

The House of Representatives on Wednesday constitutes an ad hoc committee headed by the member representatives Ilaje/Ese Odo federal constituency of Ondo state, Donald Ojogo to investigate the rising insecurity and loss of several lives in the FCT despite an investment of about $460m Chinese loan by the government.

In a resolution following a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Amobi Ogah, the House direct the ad hoc committee to, within 4 weeks investigate the monumental financial investment without a commensurate result.

Moving the motion, Ogah said the most important of all responsibilities of government is the protection of lives and property as well as the entrenchment of security to engender good governance.

He explained that it was in furtherance of this and in the discharge of government obligations that the President Good luck Jonathan administration, acting in good conscience, embarked on the need to curb insecurity in the Federal Capital, Abuja by installing CCTV cameras around strategic areas to monitor unwholesome activities with a view to preventing crime and placing surveillance on criminals and apprehending same.

He said further that in order to firm up the exercise, former Finance Minister, Dr Olusegun Aganga led a Federal Government delegation to Beijing, China in 2010 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with ZTE Communications of China to which the contract for the installation of the CCTV was equally awarded.

He said “the funds for the contract were secured through a $460m loan obtained from the China-EXIM Bank and lifted from a $600m financing portfolio secured as a soft credit loan, with interest repayable in 10 years, after an initial 10 years of grace.

“Despite this huge investment as well as the financial burden Nigeria is subjected to by way of servicing the loan, the impact of the CCTV is not felt in any manner. Rather than abating, crime rate has soared in Abuja leading to daily reports of deaths arising from unmonitored crimes around the Federal Capital.

“The current situation whereby Nigeria is paying heavily for this loan obtained from a Chinese bank to execute the non-functional CCCTV contract undertaken curiously, also by a Chinese firm and contractor leaves the country in a lose-lose nightmare.”

There has been growing concern over recent spate of insecurity, including kidnapping and one chance in the FCT.