Reps Probe: Only 40 CCTV Cameras Are Working In Abuja – Police

                                      

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee currently investigating the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras contract for Abuja and Lagos was yesterday told that only 40 cameras out of 1000 are currently functioning in the nation’s capital city.

The committee chaired by Hon. Ahmed Yarima (APC, Bauchi) was at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja, where the project’s switch centre is located, to inspect some of the equipment said to have been installed by the Chinese company handling the contract, ZTE Corporation.

Recall that the CCTV contract was awarded in 2008 as one of the components of the $470 million National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS).

A police officer attached to the switch centre,  Mr O. O. Onalaja, told the committee members that the centre has all it takes to monitor all the happenings in Abuja real-time as well as conduct a video conference between the Inspector General of Police and other states’ commands.

However, the lawmakers demanded to know the number of cameras currently functioning.

Responding, Onalaja said as at the last count on Friday, only 40 cameras were working out of the 1000 installed in Abuja, saying that the centre was in the process of re-activating the remaining 960 cameras, which were vandalized.

But the committee members described the project as a failure and vowed not to allow the contract go uncompleted.

The committee therefore demanded for the proof to show that the 1000 cameras were installed and had worked before.

they were vandalized.