The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged misuse of the $460 million closed-circuit television (CCTV) project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is set to conclude its assignment soon.
The Chairman of the Committee, Donald Ojogo, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday in Abuja.
Ojogo said the panel had made significant progress in its inquiry into the controversial project, adding that inputs from stakeholders had been encouraging.
‘We are getting positive responses from relevant stakeholders, and that will be completed soon. We can’t give details other than that’, he said.
The $460 million CCTV project was conceived as part of a broader initiative to strengthen security in the FCT by enabling security agencies to monitor strategic locations, deter crime and respond promptly through real-time surveillance.
In 2010, the contract was awarded to the Chinese firm, ZTE Communications, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing, China.
The project was financed through a loan from China Exim Bank, with Nigeria expected to provide a counterpart contribution.
More than a decade after the loan was secured and the contract awarded, the project has failed to meet its objectives.
Large sections of the CCTV infrastructure are either non-functional or completely abandoned.
Some installed cameras and equipment were reportedly vandalised or stolen, while others became obsolete due to the lack of maintenance.
Allegations of corruption and mismanagement have trailed the project for years, with claims that funds meant for installation, operation and maintenance were misappropriated or poorly utilised.
Several attempts by past administrations and previous legislatures to investigate the failure yielded little or no tangible outcome.
Beyond the financial loss, the collapse of the CCTV project has had far-reaching implications for security in the FCT.
The absence of a functional surveillance system has deprived security agencies of a critical tool for crime prevention and investigation, particularly at a time when Abuja has witnessed a surge in kidnappings, armed robberies, killings and other violent crimes.
Security experts have repeatedly noted that an effective CCTV network could have enhanced intelligence gathering, improved response time and aided the tracking and prosecution of criminal elements operating within the city and its outskirts.
Instead, the failure of the project left major roads, public spaces and government districts without the promised surveillance coverage, further exposing residents to insecurity.
The findings of the House committee are expected to shed light on how the project collapsed, identify those responsible and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence of similar failures in future public security investments.
