By Seun Adams
The Federal Government through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, during the week inaugurated the Project Management Team (PMT) against the vandalization of $470 million National Public Security Communication System (NPSCS) Network contract.
Recalled that NPSCS Network security contract was awarded on 4 August 2010 (13years after) to Messrs. ZTE Corporation of the People’s Republic of China at the contract sum of $470 million and executed by its subsidiary, Messrs. ZTE Nigeria Limited. The contracted will be jointly financed by China EXIM bank and Federal Government based on 85% and 15% agreement.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Abel Enitan, however, said that for the strict implementation of the project, the team will work with the concessioner responsible to undertake the repair, upgrade, post-implementation operations and management of the Network.
Members of the project management team led by the Ministry of Police Affairs was drawn from the Federal Ministry of Finance; Budget and National Planning; Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Police Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) was inaugurated today at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Police Affairs
The Permanent Secretary charged the team to be committed to the successful implementation of the laudable national project stating that Article 10.8.1 of the signed Agreement stipulates the establishment of a Project Management Team (PMT) to track the performance of the Concession on a quarterly basis.
According to him, the PMT shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Concession to ensure timely and successful execution of the Implementation plan and establishing priority areas of cooperation for the present and in the future; including all aspects of cooperation with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) even as he said that the team shall be meeting quarterly in Abuja”
He said “occasioned by its dormant state, several facilities of the projects were reportedly vandalized and others started experiencing progressive dilapidation. In a move to save the Project, Messrs. MPS Technologies Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was selected as Concessionaire for the project in strict compliance with the BPP and ICRC regulations”.
Enitan, recalled that NPSCS Network was awarded on about 13 years ago (August 4, 2010) to Messrs. ZTE Corporation of the People’s Republic of China at the contract sum of $470 million and executed by its subsidiary, Messrs. ZTE Nigeria Limited.
The Permanent Secretary added that the project was jointly funded under counterpart funding with the Federal Government of Nigeria contributing 15%, in the sum of $70.5 million through the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, while the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank provided the 85% balance in the sum of $399.5Million as a loan with a ten-year moratorium, with repayment commencing in August 2020.
Earlier, the Director, Police Service Department (PSD), Mr. David Awotunde, pointed out that the project has been a key project of the Federal Government for the development of the security sector in the country adding that a lot has been put in place since 2010.
In his words, “The Ministry is keen to bring every important MDAs on board for the successful implementation, operations, and management of the (NPSCS)Network.