CCTV probe: Reps panel flay NCC, NIGCOMSAT, police affairs ministry
Nigeria’s House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating the award of the $470 million contract for the installation of Close Circuit Television cameras has picked holes in the part played by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigeria Communications Satellite NIGCOMSAT and the ministry of police affairs for alleged negligence of duty.
A member of the committee who spoke in confidence revealed that documents available before them have exposed the three government agencies particularly in the manner the contract was executed.
He said that though the contract was primarily designed to be executed by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) it was transferred to the ministry of police affairs and “consequently messed up”.
The source added that “the CCCTV contract worldwide is handled by the office of the NSA but here we gave it to the end users which is the police to execute”.
“In other climes what is normal is for the office of the NSA after completing the sites they simply hand over to the end users which are the security operatives.
“NIGCOMSAT did not help matters either as they approved the materials and sites as been okay while they were in very bad shape”.
“Again, NigComsat did not properly advise the Federal Government on the variations and confusion surrounding the contract” he added.
The lawmaker noted that on the part of NCC, it allegedly erred as it sold the bands primarily designed for public security for commercial purposes which ought not to be.
Such security communications gadgets, according to the source are never sold to commercial consumers as they are meant for the monitoring criminal activities.
It was also gathered that the committee frowned at the manner $70million counterpart funding was paid by the Federal Government on the $470m Chinese loan.
The source also revealed that “another issue before the adhoc committee is the way over $40m was paid to service to service a loan of ten years grace when the principal has not been touched”.
“We are yet to understand the rush for such payments because the contract was expected to go through international tender rather it was given to ZTE without any competition”.
“So somewhere along the line somebody was benefiting from these payments and the committee needs adequate explanation on all these payments”.
“It is only in Nigeria that the CCTV contract has failed as in virtually other parts of the world that it was installed, success was recorded”.
The investigations, which was put off last Friday is expected to resume today.
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