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FG blocks installation of 10,000
security cameras in Lagos
2013-04-27 00:00:04
The cold war between the Federal
Government and Lagos State
Government may be the reason why
the latter has stopped the Lagos Safe
City Project, a scheme aimed at
providing 10,000 solar-powered
closed circuit cameras all over the
metropolis, Saturday PUNCH has
learnt.
This emerged against the backdrop of
the increasing cases of kidnapping in
Lagos, a menace that has defied
efforts by the police and other in the
state.
While making enquiries about police
effort in tracking kidnappers through
the security cameras in the state, a
police source at the State Criminal
Investigation Department told our
correspondent that security cameras
had never been used in their
investigations.
"The only time we make use of CCTV
cameras is when our investigation
takes us to a hotel or mall with
security cameras. But if it is a crime
committed on a Lagos road, forget it,"
the source said.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had
stated in January 2009 that the 10,000
cameras the state planned to install
were to help to reduce crime in the
state.
At a demonstration event, Fashola
said the number of policemen in the
state was inadequate considering the
number of people in the state.
He said at the time, "Eighteen million
people cannot be protected and
policed by 33,000 people. This is
impossible. No matter how much we
try to increase the number of
policemen, we cannot continue to do
the same thing and expect a different
result.
"In an information technology-driven
world, we have to be counted as one
of those states and communities
which will adopt best practices.
Cameras, sensors, tracking devices are
the nerve centre of these facilities that
would assist men and officers of the
police force, fire service among others
to do their duty much more
effectively."
The project was to be funded by the
Lagos Security Trust Fund while the
cameras were supposed to be
managed remotely through a central
security command unit. Four years
after this announcement was made,
the state has not had a taste of those
promises.
Our correspondent contacted the
state Commissioner for Information,
Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, on why the
cameras have yet to be installed as
the governor promised.
Ibirogba simply said the matter was
out of the hands of the state
government.
He said, "The problem with the issue
of security cameras has nothing to do
with the state government.
"When we were about to embark on
their installation, the Federal
Government contacted us and said we
needed to stop. The reason we were
given was that the FG had a scheme in
the pipeline, which involved the
installation of security cameras all over
major cities in the country.
"According to the Federal
Government, Lagos was going to be in
the first phase of the project. That was
why we stopped our own project.
"But we have since written a letter to
the Federal Government, asking it to
tell us those locations where the
cameras will be installed so that when
we begin to install ours, we would not
duplicate locations. That is where we
currently stand."
A state government official, who is
also familiar with the issue, said the
Federal Government's negative
attitude to it might be political.
"We all know the security cameras
issue may remain buried as far as the
Federal Government is concerned. If
you think the Federal Government is
overly concerned about Lagos, a state
that is not controlled by the Peoples
Democratic Party, then you are naïve,"
the government source said.
Efforts to get the Presidency's reaction
did not yield positive result on
Thursday as the Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Dr.
Reuben Abati, could not be reached
on his not pick the calls made to his
telephone line.
www.punchng.com

so FG is benefitting from insecurity in the country. na wao.

Nice movement ........but have they allocated the money for the project?
I asked because something of such once happened during Baba iyabo's tenure in office i.e to plant security camera in the nations capital but the next thing we heard was nothing. And that was how the money(huge amount) allocated got murdered by just a single person.

pillzthadrugz: Nice movement ........but have they allocated the money for the project?
I asked because something of such once happened during Baba iyabo's tenure in office i.e to plant security camera in the nations capital but the next thing we heard was nothing. And that was how the money(huge amount) allocated got murdered by just a single person.

fg should allow lagos to do the project under its supervision. this is not nice o.

Na wa ooooo, dis fisherman with his fish brain again, i think, its more cleared now that this guy, have no good plan for people of nigeria, I dey laugh in bayelsa.