The House of Representatives on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the alleged failure of the Video Surveillance and Closed Circuit Television projects of the Federal Government.
The contract for the projects, known as Public Security Communications System, was awarded in the “early part” of the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in the initial sum of $470m under a finance agreement between the government and the China Export Bank.
The contract was awarded to ZTE Nigeria Limited.
In a resolution in Abuja, the House observed that though the projects had been completed and handed over to the government since 2012, “no criminal activity has ever been detected through the security cameras.”
The CCTV can produce images or recordings for surveillance purposes, and can be either video, digital or still recording.
In most modern cities, the cameras are deployed in strategic locations to detect crimes and criminal activities.
The resolution followed a motion moved by a member from Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Saviour Friday-Udoh, who complained that the purpose of installing the CCTV had been defeated if they failed in detecting crime.
He informed the House that the CCTV system was installed in major cities, including Abuja and Lagos.
He recalled that there were other contracts to install 2,000 digital solar-powered cameras, 1,000 each in Abuja and Lagos.
Friday-Udoh said 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.
The lawmaker noted that after spending such a huge amount in a bid to contain the wave of insecurity in the country, the cameras had remained useless almost two years into the completion of the projects.
His prayer, which the House unanimously endorsed, read, “Mandate the Committees on ICT, Public Safety and National Security to investigate the failure of the Video Surveillance and Close Circuit Television to detect criminal activities in Nigeria’s cities and report back to the House within two weeks.”
The House also passed another motion bearing on security at the nation’s airports.
The motion sought to investigate the “pilfering of luggage” at the airports, particularly the international airports.
A member from Benue State, Mr. Hassan Saleh, who moved the motion, told the House that there had been many reported cases lately.
“This is causing serious embarrassment to us as a country.
“Passengers often have their luggage tampered with at the airports and nothing is being done about it,” he added.
The session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, passed the motion in a majority voice vote and referred it to the Committee on Aviation for investigation.”
Meanwhile, the upper federal legislative chamber, the Senate, has passed for second reading a bill which seeks to amend the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Authority Act for greater effectiveness and efficiency.
The bill, which was subsequently referred to the committee on Trade and Establishment for further legislative work, was sponsored by Senator Odion Ugbesia.
Ugbesia noted that free zones all over the world had been instrumental in boosting industrial and economic growth.
He said it was in recognition of this that made the Federal Government established the Onne Oil and Gas free zones.
He said the zones had all along been providing greater level of foreign direct investment, technology transfer, manpower development, provision of employment opportunities and greater economic self- reliance.
He said, “Our Free Trade Zones are far from achieving the purpose for which they were established and there are serious doubts as to whether Nigeria has indeed benefitted from the Onne Oil and Gas free zone beyond the benefit accruable to an industrial area, which is the result of weak regulatory framework guiding the operations of free zones in Nigeria.”
He further explained that the most attractive feature of a free zone anywhere in the world had been the tax holiday which investors enjoyed as incentive and encouragement for investment and that the amendment provided same.
The Senate also on Wednesday approved the establishment of a College of Education for the Federal Capital Territory.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, while reading the lead debate said it was a conference committee bill of both chambers of the National Assembly.
The bill says the Minister of FCT will be the visitor to the college, and the minister will conduct visitation every five years, while the Governing Council will submit financial reports every year.
The Senator representing the FCT, Senator Philip Aduda, commended the conference committee of both chambers for a job well done.
He said the school had been there but was without an enabling law to make it function effectively as a legal higher institution.
Senate President, David Mark, congratulated the FCT residents for the establishment of the institution.
Source- http://www.punchng.com/news/reps-probe-failed-470m-cctv-projects/

Is this not laughable? Nothing will actually work until Nigerians decide to make it work. We shall continue to wallow in this situation until we sit down to effect a change.

We have not seen anything yet.

lol nawa oh... now its $470m, no sweat I'm sure by next week we'll know the "real" amount, I foresee $700m upwards... Corruption everywhere, mehn I tire

There was a country.
Meanwhile 3rd to comm-nt.
Fill in the blank space.

some are working but most are not.
guyz around my area now use the solar panel to play table tennis

true

Iro n paro fun'ro

Na so

470mills... thats some cool money for a failed project...

NDI ARA.!

CCTV camera installed lagos and abuja for over 2 years yet captures not even one crime despite the bombings in abuja and other criminal actvites being perpetuated everyday...This country is a joke.

And why is the details of the senate and house of rep sittings being published on national news papers?

Rubbish...The senate and house of rep are trying to give Nigerians the impression that they are working abi ?

Hmmnn...

alienvirus: Is this not laughable? Nothing will actually not work until Nigerians decide to make it work. We shall continue to wallow in this situation until we sit down to effect a change.

We have not seen anything yet.

u ve made a valid point, not until we eschew sentiments and do away with both Religious and tribal jargons, we will. continue in ds trend. However, d leadership know ds, so they can do anything 'illegal' and go away with it..Nigerians love "suffering"

The way certain news they take fly enter front page makes me wonder whether they are sponsored.

Anyway good move, shows the executive's minimal interference with the legislative.

it ll end like others..





they like keeping themselves busy doing nothing...

BREAKING NEWS: Finally, Abubakar Shekau the Leader of BOKO HARAM has been arrested, dis happened dis Morning in Niger republic where he was spotted by the Interpol. Although he has refused to relay the present location of the girls, plans have been made to bring him back to Nigeria. But you guyzz should wait first, lemme go back to sleep and complete the dream..

hmmmm 470 million dollars gone jx lyk dat billions of naira wasted d most annoying part iz dat dy wont b able to recover 1$ awt of dat money

And the stealing continues...

Na today? To discuss naija politics most time I fear to develop unnecessary headache. Its same association with loot and corruption all the time. Abegi!

Please don't probe. Your probes never results in any heads rolling.
So just keep quiet and make we hear word!


You couldn't do your primary job in the first place and we have a national conference doing it for you.

This people just want it to look like they are working.. what about the Petroleum subsidy probe,

The Otedola vs Farouk probe.

What happened go Stella after her probe..


Look I dnt care.. I didn't even bother to read the Article.

...indeed,there was a country.

Is it rocket science that the money has been shared to keep some people silent and turn their eyes away from the matter? No.

That money is too huge to ignore. If it was used for the purpose for which it was made available,many crimes in Nigeria would have been dealt with.

Some people do not want to get caught on camera doing shady deals...they will make sure this probe does not see the light of the day. Na today?

Mtcheeeeeeeew, $470m is gone FOREVER. If you doubt me ask federal government.

good one

Hmm

Nice move, but after probe what next?
We still remember pension probe
Subsidy probe
Halliburton probe
Aviation probe........

Nigeria, probing without results since 1960

To what end?

Naija, I hail thee !
A committee will be set up for the probe....

times like ds make me wish I could just ram my fist into d pot-bellies of these puppets who pride themselves as leaders... But I know that wish will never come true, and that's what make me very very sad.

Everyday u go 2 bed, with d hope that things will surely get better, but by d time u wake from ur bed the next day, derz always a news 2 puncture dat hope..

See them wasting $470mil(I can even bet it'd b more than that), meanwhile somewhere in d country a family is struggling 2 plan 4 their daily meal with just #200 as budget... And yet there's plenty of this money in d country..

When will all ds end? Will it ever end? #tired

I feel really bad for Nigeria. Really.

Next month it will be:

"Reps probe misappropriation of funds meant for the probe of failed CCTV project"

Big4wig: BREAKING NEWS: Finally, Abubakar Shekau the Leader of BOKO HARAM has been arrested, dis happened dis Morning in Niger republic where he was spotted by the Interpol. Although he has refused to relay the present location of the girls, plans have been made to bring him back to Nigeria. But you guyzz should wait first, lemme go back to sleep and complete the dream..

You need to be treated of malaria fever asap...