FG BLOCKS INSTALLATION OF 10,000 SECURITY CAMERAS IN LAGOS

The
cold war between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government may be the
reason why the latter has stopped the Lagos Safe City Project, a scheme aimed
at providing 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras all over the
metropolis, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

This emerged against the backdrop of the increasing cases of
kidnapping in Lagos, a menace that has defied efforts by the police and other
in the state.

While making enquiries about police effort in tracking
kidnappers through the security cameras in the state, a police source at the
State Criminal Investigation Department told our correspondent that security
cameras had never been used in their investigations.

“The only time we make use of CCTV cameras is when our
investigation takes us to a hotel or mall with security cameras. But if it is a
crime committed on a Lagos road, forget it,” the source said.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had stated in January 2009 that the
10,000 cameras the state planned to install were to help to reduce crime in the
state.

At a demonstration event, Fashola said the number of policemen
in the state was inadequate considering the number of people in the state.

He said at the time, “Eighteen million people cannot be
protected and policed by 33,000 people. This is impossible. No matter how much
we try to increase the number of policemen, we cannot continue to do the same
thing and expect a different result.

“In an information technology-driven world, we have to be
counted as one of those states and communities which will adopt best practices.
Cameras, sensors, tracking devices are the nerve centre of these facilities
that would assist men and officers of the police force, fire service among
others to do their duty much more effectively.”

The project was to be funded by the Lagos Security Trust Fund
while the cameras were supposed to be managed remotely through a central
security command unit. Four years after this announcement was made, the state
has not had a taste of those promises.

Our correspondent contacted the state Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, on why the cameras have yet to be installed
as the governor promised.

Ibirogba simply said the matter was out of the hands of the
state government.

He said, “The problem with the issue of security cameras has
nothing to do with the state government.

“When we were about to embark on their installation, the Federal
Government contacted us and said we needed to stop. The reason we were given
was that the FG had a scheme in the pipeline, which involved the installation
of security cameras all over major cities in the country.

“According to the Federal Government, Lagos was going to be in
the first phase of the project. That was why we stopped our own project.

“But we have since written a letter to the Federal Government,
asking it to tell us those locations where the cameras will be installed so
that when we begin to install ours, we would not duplicate locations. That is
where we currently stand.”

A state government official, who is also familiar with the
issue, said the Federal Government’s negative attitude to it might be
political.

“We all know the security cameras issue may remain buried as far
as the Federal Government is concerned. If you think the Federal Government is
overly concerned about Lagos, a state that is not controlled by the Peoples
Democratic Party, then you are naïve,” the government source said.

Efforts to get the Presidency’s reaction did not yield positive
result on Thursday as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, could not be reached on his not pick the calls
made to his telephone line.