• It's not abandoned – Govt
IT seems residents and visitors to Lagos
State, will have to wait a little longer for
the commencement of the multi million
naira contract for the installation of
Close Circuit Televisions, CCTVs, in the
state aimed at addressing perennial
security and traffic challenges.
The electronic devices with capacity to
capture and register images and events
metres away, also aid effective
surveillance of the environment in
events of criminal and emergency
activities such as motor accidents,
burglaries, robberies, car thefts, fire
outbreaks, civil disturbances, collapsed
buildings, suspicious movements and
kidnaps, which are tracked and
processed for quick response by those
concerned.
The state government, about three years
ago announced plans to install CCTV
cameras across the metropolis but till
date the project is yet to fully
commence.
CCTV launch: In 2009, the state
government launched a pilot phase of
CCTV only in three locations in the state.
They were on Falomo Bridge, Third
Mainland Bridge and Eko Bridge.
The destroyed Lagos Close Circuit
The destroyed Lagos Close Circuit
Television, CCTV
Effectiveness of concept
The project, which was by all standards
successful, was to check the
effectiveness of the concept. Before
then, the Federal Government had
intimated the state government of its
intention to control the installation and
running of the project with Abuja and
Lagos, selected for the first phase.
The Federal Government under its
National Public Security System
Programme, planned to install a
thousand cameras in Lagos for a start
but 906 were effectively installed. The
devices were located on major roads,
which include: Lagos International Trade
Fair Complex, Amuwo-Festac Link Road,
Apapa, Festac Town, Ikeja, Victoria
Island, among other strategic areas.
Challenges: Some of the challenges
confronting the project, which is being
solely financed by FG, it was gathered,
apart from the finance, were sites for
permanent location, vandalisation as
well as non availability of accurate data-
bank of citizenry and biometrics. It was
learnt that all the cameras installed on
the Lagos-Badagry Expressway had
been removed because of the ongoing
road expansion along the axis.
Commissioner for Science and
Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, while
reacting to the development, expressed
confidence that the project would soon
see the light of the day. He explained:
"FG approached the state government
that it was installing the CCTV in Lagos
and we later said the state government
will not have to spend tax payers'
money on what the FG has concluded to
do in the state.
The FG said that it would roll out a
thousand cameras in the state for a
start. They have done 906. This
represents the number that the state
government has physically seen. And we
have been working with the central
government on this. "The cameras will
not be everywhere now but we know
that the intention of the central
government is to deploy it to all the
nooks and crannies of the state later. It
will eventually reach other remote areas
of the state.
"The project started with urban areas.
Contrary to wide spread comments that
the project was moribund, the project
has not been abandoned. It is in phases.
The FG has not directed the state
government to stay action. All they said
was that they needed access to the right
of way in the state, for the installation of
the CCTV cameras. Right now, the project
is on. We have seen the pictures they
generate. It is not just a CCTV camera, it
also act as a communication project that
also provide voice and video for the
security agencies in the state."
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