Ex-Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has refuted claims that his administration obtained a N10 billion loan to install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the state’s metropolitan area.
His media aide, Muhammad Garba, dismissed the report attributed to a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), asserting that it is merely a product of his opponents’ imaginations.
According to Ganduje, the so-called Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance was hired to tarnish his government’s reputation by calling for an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the CCTV project.
“To further confirm that it is fake, the so-called organisation knew nothing about the project, and the hastiness with which its paymasters want them to be in the media exposes clearly their intent. We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion loan.
“For record purposes, when the last administration conceived the project, the State Executive Council (SEC) and House of 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.”
The former governor recalled that on July 19, the same court presided over by Justice Abdullahi Liman stated that it had been deceived in the matter by a certain individual named Yusuf Rabi’u, who is the owner of another organization called Kano First Forum. As a result, the court lifted the restraining order.
The court ruled that the case does not have the legal right to proceed further; therefore, it was transferred to a vacation judge in Abuja to proceed with an interlocutory order on the same case.
He added: “On the said loan for CCTV camera project, despite its importance in fighting crime and effort to expand security infrastructure, the government decided to expand it and, unfortunately, till the end of its tenure, the facility was not secured and the project could not be executed.”
Ganduje explained that his 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 had passed through second reading, that sought compulsory installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices.
