The Senate yesterday resolved to probe the abandoned Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras project in the Abuja metropolis said to have been awarded at the cost of N500 billion.
This followed a motion by Ned Nwoko (PDP – Delta North) at plenary.
The contract was said to have been awarded to a private firm during the administration of late President Musa Yar’Adua.
Nwoko, in his lead debate, insisted that despite a series of security measures already in existence, kidnapping and other security challenges are still rampant within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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The senator said his Senior Legislative Aide, Chris Agidy and 18 other persons were abducted two weeks ago from their residence around the Galadimawa area of Abuja. Nwoko called for a joint security operation comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Security Services (DSS) to rescue the victims.
He also urged the members of the Red Chamber to encourage security agencies in the country to facilitate the installation of CCTV cameras within the Abuja metropolis and other parts of the country.
Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) said there was an urgent need to stop kidnapping and other security challenges across the country.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia) raised the alarm that residents of Lugbe and Kubwa areas of Abuja could no longer sleep in their homes because of the fear of being attacked by kidnappers.
He urged security agencies to increase security surveillance patrols within the FCT.
Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi) revealed that the project was awarded at the cost of N500 billion for the installation of CCTV cameras in the Abuja metropolis.
Aliero said the contract was awarded to the contractor during his tenure as minister of the FCT.
Aliero was a Minister of the FCT between December 2008 and March 2010 under the administration of late President Yar’Adua.
He insisted that the installation of the CCTV cameras in the Abuja metropolis was abandoned. He therefore called for the contract to be investigated by the Red Chamber.
“The contractor just came and installed useless cameras and nobody is saying anything.
“It is now time for us to revisit the issue of the N500 billion award of contract for the installation of CCTV cameras in the city.
“We should make the contractor account for the huge loss of money. The project has gone down the drain and nobody is talking about it,” he said.
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory to liaise with the Office of the Minister of FCT to investigate the abandoned contract.
He also urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to increase the surveillance of patrols in Abuja to prevent kidnapping and other insecurity challenges.
