House of Representatives yesterday directed its Ad-hoc Committees on Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Public Safety and National Security to undertake a fresh probe into the failure of the ZTE Corporation to install Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, cameras in Abuja and Lagos State.
The lawmakers also urged the federal, states and local governments to install/reactivate CCTV cameras and other security gadgets in the FCT, state capitals and major cities across the nation in a bid to guard against insecurity.
These resolutions followed a motion brought by Hon Adekoya Abdul-Majid and Hon Abiodun Faleke calling “for the Reactivation/Installation of Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, cameras in Abuja, state capitals and major cities and investigation of the failure of ZTE Corporation to complete the contract of installing the cameras in Abuja and Lagos.”
Abdul-Majid expressed concern about the dormant state of the CCTV cameras installed in Abuja by ZTE after it procured a contract in 2010 to do same in Lagos with both costing $470m
“By the contractual terms, Nigeria was required to make a down payment of 15 per cent, amounting to about $70.5m, while the Chinese EXIM Bank was to provide the remaining 85 per cent amounting to $399.5m, which Nigeria was required to repay on a three percent interest rate within ten years at prevailing exchange rate,” he said.
While regretting the faillure of ZTE Corporation, a Chinese firm to complete the contract which would have gone a long way in containing security challenges in the country, Hon. Abdu-Majid expressed worries that each loan secured from the Chinese Government is always tied to specific contracts for that project having to be awarded to Chinese companies thereby repatriating certain percentage of the sum loaned, including interest; in the process, creating employment for the Chinese and short-changing local Nigerian companies.
House Majority leader, Hon, Femi Gbajabiamila argued that the issue came up on the floor of the 7th Assembly and was debated with resolutions passed, but nothing was done.
“We had documents and paragraphs with damning revelations at that time. When it relates to the security and welfare of this country, it’s our concern, and we have to start asking real questions.
“A contract has been signed, who signed the contract. Who was the person responsible for the signing? At that time, they couldn’t say, and they were passing the bulk.
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