Bauchi State governor, Dr. Bala Mohammed, has denied ever
awarding Close Circuit Television (CCTV) contract when he was
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
![image](/2021/04/lawyers-forum.jpg")
Reacting to Sunday Sun report entitled: “National Security: How
Abuja, Lagos, PH CCTV project was stalled,” Governor Mohammed said
the Abuja CCTV contract was awarded by the Federal Government.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
In a statement on behalf of Governor Mohammed, Engr. Eric
Anyamene, former SA (Projects & ICT) to the Bauchi State governor,
when he was FCT minister, said “as someone who was acquainted with
and involved in most of the projects undertaken by the FCT
Administration of Senator Bala Mohammed, I have his authority to
set the records straight.”
He said the FCT Administration, under Senator Bala Mohammed, did
not award any contract for the installation of CCTV facilities in
the FCT.”
According to him, “the contract for CCTV in Abuja was awarded
under the Ministry of the Police Affairs and supervised by the
Office of the National Security Adviser.
“Of course, as a major beneficiary of the contract, the FCT was,
at various times, co-opted into the arrangement but never at the
procurement level or even management of the loan as that was
completely outside its purview or core mandate.”
The governor said the body of the story failed to establish any
link between the FCT and the procurement of the contract, while
emphasising that “had Bala Mohammed been remotely associated with
any questionable contract award, the anti-corruption agencies would
have wasted no time in calling him out.”
He said instead of focusing on “a phantom duplication of
contract,” the newspaper “should do well to highlight the
verifiable infrastructural successes of the Jonathan Administration
in the FCT with Bala Mohammed as the project champion.”
Listing the achievement, he said: “Notable among the projects
was the installation of solar panel traffic lights which the Bala
Mohammed FCT Administration initiated and executed. For the
records, the solar panel traffic light was executed through
bilateral assistance from the Chinese government, while the FCT
paid its counterpart funding. Senator Bala Mohammed and his
projects-driven team remain grateful that the impact of the project
remains visible to both residents and visitors at night.
“Others include the Abuja-Kaduna rail project (acknowledged by
no less a person than President Muhammadu Buhari), the aggressive
development of satellite towns, the completion of the Usama Dam
Water project that is the lifewire of water supply in the FCT, the
relative peace and security enjoined by both indigenes and
residents of Abuja and the road network, one of which has been
named after the newly elected President of Niger Republic! In this
regard, the road to the mini banquet hall in the Presidential
Villa, the Kubwa Road and the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport Road from the
City Gate all stand out for special mention.”
The governor said he must place on record some of the
institutional innovations when he was minister of FCT
Administration, which made Abuja “stand out as bedrocks of
financial stability and employment opportunities.”
According to him, these include “FCT Internal Revenue Board, the
Outdoor Advertising (Signage) Agency and the FCTA Emergency
Services, all backed by law.”
He faulted the position the ‘unidentified’ former police chief
in the repory, who, he said, “chose to stand the truth on its head
by making spurious allegations. One would have expected the Sun
newspapers to demand and receive a copy of the contract allegedly
awarded by the Bala Mohammed FCT Administration.”
The governor said inasmuch as he believed the CCTC contract
report was not borne out of malice or mischief, he calls “on the
Management of The Sun Publishing Company, to follow the path of
honour by immediately causing a retraction of the false report that
the FCT Administration of Senator Bala Mohammed duplicated any
contract.”
He urged the media to always “cross-check and authenticate the
information at their disposal before rushing to the Press.”
Bauchi State governor, Dr. Bala Mohammed, has denied ever
awarding Close Circuit Television (CCTV) contract when he was
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Reacting to Sunday Sun report entitled: “National Security: How
Abuja, Lagos, PH CCTV project was stalled,” Governor Mohammed said
the Abuja CCTV contract was awarded by the Federal Government.
In a statement on behalf of Governor Mohammed, Engr. Eric
Anyamene, former SA (Projects & ICT) to the Bauchi State governor,
when he was FCT minister, said “as someone who was acquainted with
and involved in most of the projects undertaken by the FCT
Administration of Senator Bala Mohammed, I have his authority to
set the records straight.”
He said the FCT Administration, under Senator Bala Mohammed, did
not award any contract for the installation of CCTV facilities in
the FCT.”
According to him, “the contract for CCTV in Abuja was awarded
under the Ministry of the Police Affairs and supervised by the
Office of the National Security Adviser.
“Of course, as a major beneficiary of the contract, the FCT was,
at various times, co-opted into the arrangement but never at the
procurement level or even management of the loan as that was
completely outside its purview or core mandate.”
The governor said the body of the story failed to establish any
link between the FCT and the procurement of the contract, while
emphasising that “had Bala Mohammed been remotely associated with
any questionable contract award, the anti-corruption agencies would
have wasted no time in calling him out.”
He said instead of focusing on “a phantom duplication of
contract,” the newspaper “should do well to highlight the
verifiable infrastructural successes of the Jonathan Administration
in the FCT with Bala Mohammed as the project champion.”
Listing the achievement, he said: “Notable among the projects
was the installation of solar panel traffic lights which the Bala
Mohammed FCT Administration initiated and executed. For the
records, the solar panel traffic light was executed through
bilateral assistance from the Chinese government, while the FCT
paid its counterpart funding. Senator Bala Mohammed and his
projects-driven team remain grateful that the impact of the project
remains visible to both residents and visitors at night.
“Others include the Abuja-Kaduna rail project (acknowledged by
no less a person than President Muhammadu Buhari), the aggressive
development of satellite towns, the completion of the Usama Dam
Water project that is the lifewire of water supply in the FCT, the
relative peace and security enjoined by both indigenes and
residents of Abuja and the road network, one of which has been
named after the newly elected President of Niger Republic! In this
regard, the road to the mini banquet hall in the Presidential
Villa, the Kubwa Road and the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport Road from the
City Gate all stand out for special mention.”
The governor said he must place on record some of the
institutional innovations when he was minister of FCT
Administration, which made Abuja “stand out as bedrocks of
financial stability and employment opportunities.”
According to him, these include “FCT Internal Revenue Board, the
Outdoor Advertising (Signage) Agency and the FCTA Emergency
Services, all backed by law.”
He faulted the position the ‘unidentified’ former police chief
in the repory, who, he said, “chose to stand the truth on its head
by making spurious allegations. One would have expected the Sun
newspapers to demand and receive a copy of the contract allegedly
awarded by the Bala Mohammed FCT Administration.”
The governor said inasmuch as he believed the CCTC contract
report was not borne out of malice or mischief, he calls “on the
Management of The Sun Publishing Company, to follow the path of
honour by immediately causing a retraction of the false report that
the FCT Administration of Senator Bala Mohammed duplicated any
contract.”
He urged the media to always “cross-check and authenticate the
information at their disposal before rushing to the Press.”