By Yemi Balogun
The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that his administration did not obtain any N10 billion loan for a close circuit television (CCTV) project in the state.
Ganduje, in a statement issued on his behalf on Tuesday by his former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba, described as misleading and untrue a report in some sections of the media that his administration obtained the loan.
The former governor noted that the story, credited to a civil society organisation, was meant to discredit his government by ignorantly calling for an investigation into why the money was not spent on the project.
To this end, Ganduje challenged the group to provide evidence that the N10 billion loan was obtained.
He said: “To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organisation knew nothing about the project, and the hastiness with which their paymasters want them to be in the media exposes clearly their intent. We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the 10 billion naira loan.”
Ganduje stressed that when the last administration conceived the project, the State Executive Council and the Kano State House of Assembly formally granted approval, bearing in mind the importance of the project in enhancing security in the state.
He explained that unfortunately, on July 1, 2022, a Federal High Court in Kano granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan.
The former governor recalled that on July 19, the same court presided over by Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman said that it was misled in the case by one Yusuf Isyaku Rabi’u, proprietor of another non-existing CSO by the name Kano First Forum, and therefore discharged the restraining order.
While asserting that the facility was not secured before the end of his tenure, he said his administration intended to carry out the project in appreciation of its importance and considering that there is even a bill before the National Assembly, which at that time had passed through second reading, that seeks to compel the compulsory installation of CCTV cameras in private buildings and offices.
