The House of Representatives’ decision to unravel the circumstances surrounding the $470 million National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS) is timely. It is coming at the right time, in view of the current administration’s crusade to recover monies meant for prosecution of the war against Boko Haram that were allegedly diverted by some government officials.
By commissioning the probe, one thing is very certain: the House seems set to address the over three-year-old controversy over the project for which many had accused the contractor erroneously.
The former Director-General of the NigComSat, Timasaniyu Ahmed- Rufai, told an apparently shocked “Ad-Hoc Committee to Investigate the Award of CCTV Cameras in Abuja and Lagos” that the project was fully completed by the contractor, ZTE and proper verifications and certification were conducted on every subsystem of the project in 2012.
In fact, Rufai likened what happened to the project to someone who bought a brand new car and refused to fuel it. According to him, “a team of 25 engineers went to every location to verify different stages of the project. We issued Acceptance Certificates after which payments were made to the contractor. There were milestones that were all carefully and professionally observed by the project implementation team.”
He further revealed that the entire NPSCS project had to “Power Down” in 2012 for federal government’s, failure to provide “operational funds” for running the system.
The former DG’s revelation, would, however, seem to assuage the feelings of many Nigerians who had hitherto felt that the Chinese firm may have played a fast one on the government by installing sub-standard or non-functional equipment.
The Public Security Communications System (PSCS) project was initiated during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and was funded through a finance agreement between the Nigerian government and the China Export Bank.
The project has five main components: The Global Open Trunking Architecture (GoTA) subsystem, the Video Surveillance Subsystem (VSS) which has a component of 1000 cameras; and the Coalition Emergency Response System (CERS) which supports Police Call Centre for emergency calls. There is also the E-policing Subsystem which facilitates the deployment of E-policing databases, and the Video Conferencing subsystem which enables video conferencing by all commands of the Nigeria Police with the Force Headquarters and among themselves.
The entire project covered installation of 2,000 digital solar-powered cameras, 1,000 each in Abuja and Lagos; 37 switch rooms, microwave backbone, 37 coalition emergency response systems, 38 video conferencing sub systems, 37 e-police systems, six emergency communication vehicles; and 1.5 million phone lines for subscribers to generate revenue.
Footage of the cameras were said to have been used in resolving a $1 million theft in Abuja and a planned attack on the Louis Edet House, which the Police headquarters foiled.
For those that have closely followed the arguments since the controversy of the surveillance systems broke, one thing they feel must happen, and quickly too, is for the House to get cracking to unravel key actors whose actions or inactions stalled a project that would have saved the nation needless deaths.
While the dummy sold to the Nigerian public was that ZTE failed to deliver, it will be recalled that former Police Affairs Minister, Caleb Olubolade, had at a mid-term briefing of the ministry, said that the project was already completed.
Former Vice President Namadi Sambo had also, while inspecting some of the facilities at the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja expressed satisfaction and happiness with the operation of the security platform. He was quoted to have said: “I can see the whole of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; Abuja Airport, Abuja; and so many things,” and went on to congratulate the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Police Affairs at the time.
The question that then begs for answer is: Could it be that the said top government functionaries who had roles to play in the project implementation were telling Nigerians half-truths? Was there a management and operational contract signed at the delivery of the project? Was there any budgetary provision for sustainability of the project? There were insinuations that top officials in the immediate past government only wanted to frustrate the project since it was awarded by the Yar’Adua administration to create alibi for a new contract which another firm was just waiting to pick. This probe must dig deep.
For the House, doing a thorough job would entail going beyond merely listening to the invited persons and organisations, to actually conduct physical verification of installation sites.
While the former DG of NigComSat may have poked the government with the allegations of stifling the project of funds, the agencies that supervised the project too might also not be totally blameless. The House may also have to find out if it is true that the allocated spectrum for the PSCS has allegedly been reallocated to commercial operators, thereby preventing it from functioning very well.
In view of the strategic nature of the project to national security, Nigerians look up to the House to not only get to the root of the matter, also address some shortcomings in its implementation. The idea of commercialisation completely negates the objective of this project because it undermines the idea of a secured, controlled communication platform for security agencies which the NPSCS project was designed to fill.
One suggestion that may make some sense is allowing the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to completely take over operations and maintenance of the project.
- Musa Abdullahi writes from Kano.
