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.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-blocks-installation-of-10000-security-cameras-in-lagos/

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