House Orders CBN to Halt $15M+ Payments to ZTE Over Shady $460M CCTV Project Probe

By Ifeyinwa Ike

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the $460 million Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance project in the Federal Capital Territory has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend further disbursements to ZTE Corporation until the firm provides satisfactory explanations on contract execution.

Lawmakers adopted the resolution during v a hearing in Abuja, voicing frustration over ZTE’s inconsistent responses, vague answers, and lack of transparency on the project’s scope, deployment sites, and operational status.

The committee mandated ZTE to return with verifiable documents, including a detailed inventory of all supplied and installed equipment, precise nationwide installation locations, and identities/contact details of the 456 Nigerians reportedly trained for operations and maintenance.

The motion was moved by Ali Shettima and seconded by Kolawale Akinlayo.

Committee Chairman Donald Ojogo stressed that the probe was a fact-finding mission, not a witch-hunt.

“This is constructive engagement. Nigerians deserve clear answers, and we expect ZTE to align with the documents before us,” he said.

ZTE representative Irene Momoh stated that the company supplied and installed CCTV infrastructure in Abuja and Lagos from 2011 to 2012. However, she admitted uncertainty about its current functionality:

“To the best of our knowledge, equipment was delivered and installed on time, but I cannot confirm its present status.”

Momoh noted an initial three-month maintenance agreement, extended voluntarily to six months before handover.
She blamed the project’s decline on the government’s lack of post-handover funding.

Reactions were sharp. Iyawe Esosa cited Ministry of Police Affairs records disputing ZTE’s limited-scope claim:

“Installations were in Edo State too. As a Benin City resident, I can say these facilities don’t exist where listed.” Kolawale Akinlayo rejected Ekiti State deployments: “No evidence in Ado-Ekiti or South-West outside Lagos.”

Tensions rose as Momoh cited her 2023 start date and staff turnover for knowledge gaps. Lawmakers warned of referral to the Nigerian Bar Association.

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s Josiah Okike suggested routing directives through the Accountant-General’s office, disclosing $15.37 million due to ZTE as of March 2026 under loan repayments.

The committee will summon ZTE again, demanding proof of handover and agency custodians.

Launched under former President Goodluck Jonathan through a Chinese loan, the project aimed to deploy thousands of cameras in major cities like Abuja and Lagos, with command centers to combat insecurity from terrorism to urban crime.

Once praised, it’s now mired in controversy over invisibility, non-functionality, poor maintenance, funding shortfalls, and irregularities.

Successive governments face blame, with this probe seeking accountability for a significant investment yielding little impact