Provide evidence for N10bn CCTV camera project loan, Ganduje challenges CSO

The immediate past administration in Kano state has described as misleading and untrue a story being circulated that it obtained a N10 billion loan for the installation of Close Circuit Camera (CCTV) project in the metropolitan area of the state.

In a statement released Tuesday, former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in the administration, Malam Muhammad Garba, rebutted the story credited to a civil society organisation, adding that the said Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance was hired to discredit the former government by ignorantly calling for an investigation on why the money was not spent on the project.

“To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organisation knew nothing about the project and the hastiness with which their paymasters want them to be in the media exposes clearly their intent.

“We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion Naira loan.

“For record purposes when the last administration conceived the project, the State Executive Council and the Assembly formally granted approval bearing in mind the importance of the project in enhancing security in the state. Unfortunately a Federal High Court in Kano, on July 1, 2022, granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan.” Garba explained in the statement.

The former Commissioner also recalled that on July 19, the same court presided over by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman said that it was misled in the case by one Yusuf Isyaku Rabi’u, proprietor of another non-existing CSO by the name Kano First Forum, and therefore, discharged the restraining order.

He said the case, according to the court, lacks locus standi to be continued and transferred it to a vacation judge in Abuja to continue with an interlocutory order before the court on the same case.

Garba added: That the said loan, for the CCTV camera project, despite its importance in fighting crime and effort to expand security infrastructure, the government decided to expand the project and unfortunately up to the end of its tenure the facility has not been secured and therefore the project could not be executed.”

He said the Ganduje administration intended to carry out the project in appreciation of its importance and considering that there is even a bill before the National Assembly, which at that time had passed through second reading, that seeks to compel compulsory installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices.

(Punch)