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 pending clarification on the execution of the contract.

The resolution was reached yesterday following lawmakers’ concerns over inconsistencies, vague responses, and a lack of transparency from ZTE officials regarding the project’s scope, deployment locations, and current operational status.

The committee also mandated the company to reappear with comprehensive and verifiable documentation, including a full inventory of all equipment supplied and installed, precise locations of infrastructure nationwide, and details of 456 Nigerians reportedly trained to operate and maintain the system.

The decision followed a motion moved by Ali Shettima, representing Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari Federal Constituency and seconded by Kolawale Akinlayo during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly.

Committee Chairman, Donald Ojogo, said the exercise was not a witch-hunt but a fact-finding mission aimed at addressing public concerns over the project.

“This is a constructive engagement, not an attempt to witch-hunt anyone. Nigerians deserve clear answers, and we expect ZTE to respond in line with the documents before us,” he stated.

Representative of the company, Irene Momoh, said ZTE supplied and installed CCTV infrastructure in Abuja and Lagos, stating that the project was completed between 2011 and 2012.

However, under questioning, she admitted uncertainty about the current functionality of the system.

Momoh explained that ZTE had an initial three-month maintenance agreement, which it voluntarily extended to six months before handing over the system.

Citing documents from the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Iyawe Esosa disputed ZTE’s assertion that installations were limited to Abuja and Lagos.

Momoh, however, maintained that all items captured in the Bill of Quantities were duly supplied and installed in accordance with contractual terms.

Similarly, Akinlayo rejected claims of installations in Ekiti, insisting that there was no evidence of deployment across the state.

Tensions escalated when Momoh attributed gaps in her responses to the fact that she only assumed office in 2023, noting that several officials involved in the original contract were no longer with the company.

Lawmakers viewed this as an attempt to evade responsibility and warned of a possible referral to the Nigerian Bar Association for disciplinary action.