Ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party are in war of words over installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the state.

While Accord has accused APGA government of using the cameras to scam people, APGA said the party is looking for cheap recognition in Anambra.

The deputy governorship candidate of Accord Party,  Sir Kenneth  Obi, alleged that the CCTV cameras brought to the state were moribund, describing them as conduit pipes with which the state fund was being embezzled.

Obi said APGA had breached the trust, confidence and contract it had with Ndi Anambra through its failed promises and scam projects.

He said: “Accord Party is the only credible party Ndi Anambra will rely on in the November 6 election because its candidates are men of honour, who see their word as their bond.

“Accord Party has Dr. Godwin Maduka as its candidate. He fell out with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly deceiving the aspirants during the primary election on June 26.”

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Obi recalled that the APGA-led government had boasted that the “advanced surveillance cameras from industrial video and control were not yet in some American cities and even states.”

“The CCTVs are to be installed in Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha, while they will be installed in other cities later.”

The Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Community Affairs, Obi Ochije, said the cameras were installed by the current administration to fight crime in every nook and cranny of the state, adding that it was the reason robbery did not exist again in Anambra.

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. D. Adinuba, said: “The government has decided to fight crime with the latest technology anywhere in the world.

“The Smart City Security Project was inspired by the governor’s visit to Massachusetts in the United States, in October 2018, when he toured places such as the Cambridge Innovation Centre, Boston University and Industrial Video and Control in Boston.

“He was impressed, among other things, by the sophisticated surveillance cameras from the industrial video and control, developed in conjunction with researchers at the Cambridge Innovation Centre and other research centres in Massachusetts.

“Governor Obiano felt that they should be installed in Anambra State so that it would remain Nigeria’s safest state and attract investments.”

But the Accord candidate, Kenneth Obi, said there was no CCTV camera in Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha and the crime rate and insecurity had increased without the APGA government deploying the so-called CCTV to track criminals.

He assured Ndi Anambra that Accord was the only party that would guarantee citizens’ security.

Obi said the security plan of the Accord Party for Anambra State was practical and workable and would restore the confidence of Ndi Anambra in the ability of the government to protect the citizens.

He urged Ndi Anambra not to allow the APGA government deceive them again.