CC image courtesy of Mike_fleming on Flickr.
Nigerian lawmakers have ordered a probe into the government’s failed US$470 million CCTV project, which was awarded to ZTE Nigeria Limited and funded by a financing arrangement involving the Nigerian government and China Export Bank.
According to a resolution by members of the Nigerian House of Representatives, no criminal activity has ever been detected through the security cameras since the project was completed and handed over to the Nigerian government two years ago.
A motion moved by Hon Saviour Friday-Udoh said the purpose for installing the CCTV cameras had been defeated following their failure to assist in detecting crime.
He told members of the house the CCTV cameras were installed in Abuja and Lagos in addition to other contracts to install 2,000 digital solar-powered cameras, 1,000 each in Abuja and Lagos.
“The contracts also included the installation of 37 switch rooms; MW backbones; 37 Coalition Emergency Response System; 38 Video Conference Subsystem; 37 E-Police System; six Emergency Communication Vehicles; and 1.5 million subscriber lines,” he said.
After spending a huge amount to contain the wave of insecurity in the country, he said the cameras had proved useless.
“Mandate the Committees on ICT, Public Safety and National Security to investigate the failure of the Video Surveillance and Close Circuit Television Cameras to detect criminal activities in Nigeria’s cities and report back to the House within two weeks,” the lawmakers resolved.
