FCT Minister says Abuja CCTV, not FCTA contract

Angered by what he termed, wrongful accusation and defamation of character, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed yesterday threatened to drag the Executive Chairman of Coalition against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran to court if he fails to apologise to him.

In a statement by the Special Assistant, Media to the FCTA Minister, Nosike Ogbuenyi, he said that National Public Security Communications System Project in Abuja otherwise known as the CCTV Project was not a contract by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Ogbuenyi said, “The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has condemned what it described as an unwarranted and misguided attack of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed by the Executive Chairman of a self-styled Coalition against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran over the $470m (N76billion) National Public Security Communications System Project in Abuja otherwise known as the CCTV Project.

“We regard that unguarded outburst by Comrade Adeniran as a shameful advertisement of ignorance not just on the part of the man himself but also the organization that he purports to lead.

While the FCT Administration has been doing a lot to enhance security of lives and property in the FCT and is ever ready to collaborate with any person, institution, ministry, commission or group committed to the same objective, the fact needs to be stressed that the Abuja CCTV project was never a baby of the FCT Administration by conception, execution or supervision,” the spokesman of the FCT Administration clarified.

Mr. Ogbuenyi therefore called on CACOL and its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adebayo to render an unreserved apology to the FCT Minister for wrongful accusation and defamation, adding, “If those calling for FCT Minister’s prosecution on account of a CCTV contract that he neither originated nor executed are not comprehensive illiterates, they should have been able to at least carry out preliminary internet research on the project to ascertain those that awarded and executed the contract.”

Ogbuenyi who urged CACOL and its leaders to henceforth endevour to carry out proper investigation of issues before making public pronouncements on them in order to avoid ridiculing itself and embarrassing innocent persons and institutions, however described the CCTV project as an important project in the estimation of the FCT Administration and enjoined those responsible for the installation, completion and operation of the vital security devices to do the needful thing to make them fully operational.