KANO, Nigeria — Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of Kano State, has fervently denied allegations that his administration mishandled a N10 billion loan to install Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, cameras in the state’s metropolitan area.
Ganduje’s media aide, Muhammad Garba, dismissed the claims made by a Civil Society Organisation, CSO, labeling them a figment of his political adversaries’ imagination.
He said that the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance were merely being used to discredit the former administration, urging an investigation into why the funds were not used for the intended project.
Garba challenged the detractors, “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 their intent. We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion loan.”
Ganduje’s administration had initially planned for the CCTV project, formally approved by the State Executive Council, SEC, and House of Assembly due to its perceived importance in enhancing the state’s security.
“Unfortunately, a Federal High Court in Kano, on July 1, 2022, granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan,” Garba stated, explaining the judicial hurdle they had encountered.
On July 19, 2023, the same court, under Justice Abdullahi Liman, discharged the restraining order, declaring Yusuf Rabi’u, the proprietor of another CSO, Kano First Forum, had misled it.
The case, deemed lacking in locus standi, was then transferred to a vacation judge in Abuja for continuation with an interlocutory order.
Ganduje further clarified his administration’s intent regarding the loan and the proposed CCTV project.
He stated, “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.”
The former governor expressed that they had planned to initiate the project due to its importance, especially considering a bill before the National Assembly sought to make installing CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices mandatory.
This bill, he indicated, had already passed through its second reading.
