Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate past Governor of Kano state, vehemently denied the allegations of obtaining a ₦10 billion loan for the implementation of CCTV cameras in the Kano metropolis, asserting that these reports are inaccurate and baseless.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs during the tenure of Governor Ganduje, Malam Muhammad Garba, responded with a statement in Abuja, dismissing the story attributed to an imaginary civil society organization, the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance.
He asserted that the intention behind the report was to unjustly undermine the former governor’s reputation by ignorantly demanding an investigation into the unspent funds for the CCTV project.
Garba said; ‘To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organization knew nothing about the project and the hastiness with which their pay masters want them to be in the media exposes clearly, their intent.’
‘We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion Naira loan.’
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‘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.’
Additionally, the former Commissioner pointed out that Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman admitted being deceived in the matter by Yusuf Isyaku Rabi’u, who claimed ownership of a nonexistent CSO called Kano First Forum. As a result, the court nullified the restraining order on July 19.
Malam Garba furthered: ‘The said loan for the CCTV camera project, despite its importance in fighting crime and efforts 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.’
Providing more context, the former Commissioner reiterated that the Ganduje administration had planned to implement the CCTV project, acknowledging its significance and aligning with the legislative progress.
A bill before the National Assembly, having passed the second reading, sought to make the installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices compulsory.