Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

The immediate past Governor of Kano state, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has described as misleading and untrue, reports that his administration obtained a N10 billion loan for the installation of Close Circuit Television CCTV cameras in the Kano metropolis.

In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in the Ganduje administration, Malam Muhammad Garba, said the story credited to a non-existent civil society organization, the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance was designed to discredit the former governor by ignorantly calling for an investigation on why the money was not spent on the project.

Garba said; “To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organization knew nothing about the project and the hastiness with which their pay masters want them to be in the media exposes clearly, their intent.

“We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion Naira loan.

“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.

“Unfortunately, a 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 admitted 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.

Malam Garba added: “The said loan for the CCTV camera project, despite its importance in fighting crime and efforts 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 at that time had passed through second reading, that sought to make compulsory, the installation of CCTV camerae in private buildings and offices.