Pius Anyim
The National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS), a highly
sophisticated communications system designed and built by a Chinese
firm, ZTE Corporation, to boost the capacity of the Nigerian police and
other security agencies to battle crimes, especially terrorist acts is
the subject of a raging controversy involving Vice President, Namadi
Sambo, Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and
businessman Chief Emeka Offor.
The project was funded with a $399.5 million loan obtained from the
China Exim Bank, as well as $70.5 million in direct cash invested by the
Federal Ministry of Finance. The Federal Government invited several
Nigerian companies, including Mr. Offor’s OpenSkys, to bid for a
contract to handle the day-to-day operations. According to police
sources, Offor claimed that the frequency band on which the network was
built belonged to his firm.
This meant that OpenSkys was going to become the majority stakeholder
with the government having a minor stake. Offor’s claim was said to be
favoured by Sambo, Anyim, and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of
Police Affairs, James Obiegbu against other proposals that presented a
self-sufficient, self-financing model that plans to commercialise one
million telephone lines, and then use the proceeds of that
commercialisation to service the loan and finance the security aspects
of the network. Some think the model pushed by Emeka Offor and Sambo
amounts to taxing the public twice, since the asset was originally
funded from the public purse.
Culled from Thisday
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