Ex-Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje has rebuffed reports making the rounds that his administration obtained N10 billion loan for the installation of the Close Circuit Camara (CCTV) project in the state’s metropolitan area.
In a statement released on Tuesday, July 18, by Malam Muhammad Garba, the former commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ganduje described the reports as misleading and untrue.
He refuted the story credited to a non-existence Civil Society Organisation, adding that the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance was hired to discredit the former government by ignorantly calling for an investigation into why the money was not spent on the project.
Malam Garba said:
“To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organization knew nothing about the project, and the hastiness with which their paymasters want them to be in the media exposes clearly their intent.
“We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion Naira loan.”
How court stopped Ganduje from obtaining N10bn loan
As contained in the statement, it was gathered that the previous Kano State parliament assented to the project.
However, the Federal High Court in Kano, on July 1, 2022, granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan.
The former Commissioner also recalled that on July 19, the same court presided over by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman said that it was misled in the case by one Yusuf Isyaku Rabi’u, proprietor of another non-existing CSO by the name Kano First Forum, and therefore, discharged the restraining order.
According to the court, he said the case lacks locus standi to be continued and transferred to a vacation judge in Abuja to continue with an interlocutory order before the court on the same case.
Malam Garba said:
“the said loan, for the CCTV camera project, despite its importance in fighting crime and effort 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.”
He said the Ganduje 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 seeks to compel compulsory installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices.
Source: Legit.ng