Reps To Probe Abuja’s $460m CCTV Contract

The House of Representatives has established an ad hoc committee to examine the escalating insecurity and increasing fatalities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), even though the Nigerian government allocated a $460 million loan from China toward a full-scale CCTV surveillance initiative.

This committee, led by Hon. Donald Ojogo (representing Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State), was formed during Wednesday’s plenary session on October 22, in response to a motion deemed of urgent public importance, introduced by Hon. Amobi Ogah.

In presenting the motion, Ogah stressed that safeguarding lives and property stands as the foremost duty of any government, further noting that conditions in Abuja signify a breakdown in supervision and responsibility for a project intended to bolster public safety. “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 said.

Ogah pointed out that back in 2010, the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, via then Finance Minister Dr. Olusegun Aganga, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s ZTE Communications to deploy CCTV cameras at key sites throughout Abuja. The effort aimed to assist security forces in observing, deterring, and addressing criminal acts.

Nevertheless, despite the substantial monetary outlay and Nigeria’s continued repayments on the loan, Ogah expressed regret that the CCTV network has stayed inoperable, offering zero contribution to efforts against criminality.

“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,” Ogah said.

He characterized the circumstances as a “lose-lose nightmare” for Nigeria, involving steep payments for an initiative that produced no tangible outcomes.

As a result, the House directed the ad hoc committee to investigate the full scope of the CCTV agreement, encompassing fund disbursement, project implementation, and causes of its collapse, and to return with proposals designed to strengthen the security framework in the FCT.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli