MANDATORY USE OF CCTV IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS TO BE ENFORCED BY FCTA
“ A welcomed development, a safety woven initiative to checkmate virtually all acts of Criminality”, Says Offiong Charles.
By Charles Edet
20th October, 2022
nationaldetectivemagazine
The Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Mr Umar Shuaibu at a news conference disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has mandated the use of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in all public premises within the Federal Capital City and the whole of the territory to curb insecurity.
Shuaibu told news men that the new Surveliance approach which is aimed at strengthening security of the territory is necessary to tackle insecurity with recorded visuals for security purposes.
He said “henceforth, mandatory use of CCTV would be included in the requirements for building approval in the nation’s capital.”
He stated further that, officers of the council would be going round the city to enforce compliance of the new directive.
The Coordinator, was enthusiastic that the use of CCTV would help security agencies in fighting crimes and criminality in the territory.
“We have made announcements and we are making sure that we implement the decision to the letter.
“Our major decision now is to make sure we inform everybody within the city and the entire territory to ensure that all public places have CCTV.”
There must be CCTV in all public premises in the FCT as from now and we will ensure the enforcement of this very important decision which is a of national security.”
When all areas are well covered, we believe we are going to moniitor activities in the city via the CCTV.
“And it will tremendously help the security agencies in fighting crime and criminality in the territory,” Shuaibu said.
The Coordinator, also harped on the inclusion of fire fighting equipment in all public buildings to provide effective fire fighting equipment in the territory.”
This one (provision for fire fighting equipment) is there in the approval of buildings in Abuja. You must have it before you will be allowed to build in Abuja,” he said.
In addition, the FCTA’s Director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said: “We are all living witnesses to the issues of crime and criminality and as a responsible administration, we have to review our process and procedures.”
And one way that we could curtail the issue of criminality is by using the provision of Urban and Regional Planning Law for the Department of Development Control, because this is part of global best practices.”
Part of our Development Control guidelines is that in your new submission, you must make provision for CCTV.“
This is to ensure that nefarious activities could be detected, and where necessary, action will be taken by relevant security agencies,”
Galadima said.
He explained that public buildings include as referred : “Offices, commercial buildings, Plazas, hospitals, schools and anywhere that the general public gather and transact businesses.”
It is also public places like motor parks, recreational parks, football fields and all public places, so CCTV cameras should be installed, so that activities of the men of the underworld could be monitored.”
However, we have given time limit, thereafter, we will start going round to monitor compliance level, as it is something that we can’t just start and expect results immediately.”
We have to engage, sensitise, and thereafter monitor compliance that is what we are doing now.”
Meanwhile, security experts in FCT, welcomed the new development and commended the FCTA, administration for the vision. Offiong Charles, the National Chairman of the Volunteers for Awareness Against Kidnapping, Human Trafficking and Terrorism (VAKAHT) praised the initiative of the FCTA, and requested the inclusion of the security consultants in the enforcement of the CCTV installation projects in FCT.
