Our CCTV cameras are working –Lagos govt.

Posted under: News

The Lagos State government yesterday denied the speculation making the rounds that the over 100, 000 Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras installed across the state by the Federal Government is not working.

The government said the cameras have since been activated for effective surveillance and crime monitoring. It also said that no fewer than 100, 000 residents of the state had been captured by the Lagos Residents Registration Agency (LASRAA) from the beginning the month.

The speculation that the delay in the activation of the CCTV cameras was to enable the Federal Government organise a ceremonial commissioning before activating the projects installed by the Ministry of Police Affairs in collaboration with the state government, had fuelled anxiety among some residents in the state, especially in view of the growing terrorists attack in the northern part of the country.

But allaying the fear yesterday at a media parley with journalists, state Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, confirmed that the CCTV cameras in Lagos are working contrary to the speculation, describing the installation of the cameras as in integrated communication project.

He said: “I don’t agree that they are not working; they are designed for public safety. I have visited the command centre with some of my team members and we saw cameras working, it is security safety initiatives. “As at the last count, we have about 9, 070 in Lagos.

They may not be enough to cover Lagos, but I can assure you they are working. It is an integrated communication project. “We don’t know why people say they are not working. Those who need to know are aware of their efficiency. What I can say is that they are working and people can be viewed with it.

How the CCTV cameras are managed is not within our purview. “As for whether the cameras were not activated for political reasons, I don’t know about that, they are working, I have seen it myself. So the issue of security is not for public knowledge. There are a lot of things that are going on behind that the public won’t know because they don’t need to know.”

On the ongoing registration exercise, Mabadeje urged residents of the state to cooperate with government agents carrying out the exercise, saying the essence of the registration is to assist in the even distribution of amenities across the state.

“How can you plan for what you can’t measure? There is need for us to know the age distribution of the residents, the old and the young who reside in Lagos. This is to enable us provide basic amenities to the citizens. It is far from being political, contrary to speculations.”

He also disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to turn Kantogoa to Internet City, saying that major players in the IT industry would soon be moved to the axis. This, Mabadeje assured would generate jobs for hundreds of Lagosians.