Kidnapping: $460m Chinese loan for CCTV in FCT total failure – Shehu Sani
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has bemoaned the failure of the federal government, particularly the previous administration to utilize the $460 million borrowed from China for the installation of CCTV cameras in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja.
The former federal lawmaker was reacting to the recent surge in the activities of bandits who have been on a rampage in the territory, killing and kidnapping citizens.
The Nigerian government in 2010, obtained a $460 million loan from the China-EXIM bank for the installation of the Closed-Circuit Television cameras in Abuja.
The contract was awarded to a Chinese firm, ZTE Communications in 2010.
The then Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, had led a delegation to Beijing, China, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the deal with the Chinese company.
About 14 years later, the project is yet to be executed as the nation’s capital continues to grapple with a worsening security crisis.
In a post on his official X handle on Sunday, Shehu Sani lamented that the “money and the cameras” were kidnapped by the previous governments.
He wrote, “Nigeria’s capital is experiencing an upsurge in cases of kidnappings; this is the same city that the previous federal government secured a $460 million Chinese loan for the installation of CCTV cameras.
“Both the money and the Cameras have since been kidnapped by elements of the past Governments”.
The House of Representatives, in October 2019, vowed to probe the borrowed fund.
The then House Committee on Finance asked why the CCTV cameras were not working years after the loan was obtained.
