Abuja CCTV: Group calls for FCT Minister’s prosecution

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has flayed the Federal Government over the $470m (N76bn) National Public Security Communications System Project in Abuja.

The contract, which was awarded by the Federal Government and completed in 2012, aimed at providing voice, video and data using the Code Division Multiple Access technology to enable security agencies to combat terrorism and other violent crimes in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and other cities across the nation.

However, the solar panels and batteries of the CCTV have been stolen while some cameras that were installed along the expressways and major roads in the city of Abuja have been crushed by vehicles involved in accidents.

The Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Comrade Debo Adeniran, averred that spending billions on a failed CCTV project is a waste of public fund.

He said, “Spending billions on such project without any good result to show for it, is a waste of public fund. As a matter of fact, spending N76 billion on just 1000 CCTV is the highest height of corruption.

“The questions begging for answers on this white elephant project are: How much did each camera circuit cost? Does it mean that a whooping N75 million was paid for each camera? Does it mean that no government agency was saddled with the responsibility of keeping watch on the cameras? What was the arrangement put in place to manage the project after the company that did the work handed it over? Nigeria is one absurd country where projects are awarded without plans of maintenance.

“If the crop of people in this government are up, about and doing, a project completed in less than two years wouldn’t have degenerated to such abysmal level. If these CCTV cameras are functioning as they should, maybe the Nyanya bombing could have been averted.”

The anti-corruption crusader however called for a probe to expose those responsible for the failure of the project.

“Someone should be held responsible for the failure of this project. Enough of spending billions of taxpayers’ money on white elephant projects! An investigation should be conducted to expose whosoever defrauded the country to the tune of N76bn on a project that never worked.

“The FCT Minister, Mr. Bala Mohammed, those government officials that supervised the contract, those who certified it including those who took delivery as well as those who are saddled with the maintenance of the project should be prosecuted appropriately for failing in their duties.”