Former Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has refuted media reports claiming he obtained a N10 billion loan for installing Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) in the state’s metropolitan area. He dismissed the story as misleading and described the civil society organization (CSO) behind the report as non-existent.
In a statement issued through his former commissioner for information and internal affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, Ganduje accused the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance of being hired to discredit his administration by falsely calling for a probe into the unspent funds.
Garba clarified that the State Executive Council and the Assembly had formally approved the project, considering its significance in enhancing security in the state. However, a Federal High Court in Kano granted an injunction on July 1, 2022, restraining the government from obtaining the loan.
On July 19, the same court, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, realized that it was misled in the case by an individual from a non-existent CSO called Kano First Forum, and subsequently discharged the restraining order.
The former commissioner highlighted that despite the importance of the CCTV project in fighting crime, the government couldn’t secure the facility before the end of Ganduje’s tenure, leading to the project’s non-execution.
The Ganduje administration had intended to carry out the project, appreciating its significance, especially since there was a bill before the National Assembly, which had passed through the second reading, mandating the compulsory installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices.
