There’s attempt to discredit Ganduje, ex-Kano commissioner says on N10bn CCTV project

Muhammad Garba, ex-commissioner of information in Kano, says there is an attempt to discredit Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state, over a proposed N10 billion closed-circuit television (CCTV) project.

In March 2022,  the Kano house of assembly gave approval to Ganjude to secure a loan to embark on the project.

However, a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) known as the Kano First Forum (KFF), filed a suit to stop the governor from borrowing the sum on grounds of non-compliance with rules and regulations governing loan transactions.

Thereafter, the federal high court in Kano restrained the state government from initially securing the loan but later vacated the order when the case was eventually determined.

Recently, there have been calls to investigate the project.

In a statement on Tuesday, Garba said because of the court order, the Ganduje administration was unable to secure the loan before the end of its tenure.

“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,” the former commissioner of information said.

“Unfortunately a federal high court in Kano, on July 1, 2022, granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan.

“Up to the end of the administration’s tenure, the loan facility was not secured and therefore the project could not be executed.”

Garba said the Ganduje administration conceived the project following a bill at the national assembly seeking to compulsorily install CCTV at government buildings at the time.