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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate $ 460 million Closed Circuit Television ( CCTV) project for the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Abuja, during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Consequently, the House also resolved to constitute an Ad-hoc Committee to undertake the probe and report back to the House for further legislative actions.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Amobi Ogah, calling for the investigation of the Abuja CCTV, which was allegedly executed with $460million from China, at Wednesday’s plenary.
Ogah, in the motion, informed the House, that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as part of efforts to ensure security of live and property embarked on the CCTV project.
According to him, “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.
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“It was in furtherance of this and in the discharge of government obligations that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, acting in good conscience, embarked on the CCTV cameras around strategic areas to monitor unwholesome activities with a view to preventing crime and placing surveillance on criminals and apprehending same.”
The lawmaker added that “in order to firm up the above, erstwhile 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.
“Concerned that 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.”
However, Amobi expressed concern that despite the huge investment on the CCTV project, crime rate in Abuja has soared, resulting in daily reports arising from insecurity.
“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 CCTV contract undertaken curiously, also by a Chinese firm and contractor leaves the country in a lose-lose nightmare,” Amobi posited.
