The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the $460 million expended on the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in Abuja during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The decision of the House was anchored on the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Amobi Godwin (LP, Abia).
The motion was titled “Urgent need to investigate the rising insecurity and loss of several lives in Abuja, the Federal Capital, despite the CCTV project secured with a Chinese loan of $460m”.
Presenting the motion, the lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia state, noted that 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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He said 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.
Amobi further informed that in order to firm up the above, the 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.
He also informed 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.
He expressed concerns that 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, the crime rate has soared in Abuja, leading to daily reports of deaths arising from unmonitored crimes around the Federal Capital.
“Worried that 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”.
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