A United Kingdom-based rights group, Nigerian Integrated Security System Watch (NISSW), has called on the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to probe the 2012 transaction involving the sale of the National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS) network.
Its spokesman, Mallam Garba Shuaibu, in a statement at the weekend, NISSW recalled how top officials of the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012, conspired to transfer $470 million government-owned communications assets to OpenSkys Limited, a firm owned by Emeka Offor.
Under the arrangement, the federal government was to surrender its $470 million National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS) network to OpenSkys Limited.
The communications system designed and built by a Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation, to boost the capacity of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to battle crimes, especially terrorist acts.
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.
A former executive commissioner of NCC, Dr. Bashir Gwandu, first raised alarm on the sale of the spectrum for the Police NPSCS network, but was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The group stated that spectrum was sold to OpenSkys Ltd by the former Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Ernest Ndukwe and payment concluded under the current EVC, Dr. Eugene Juwah.
Upon the completion of the state-of-the-art communications network, the Federal Government invited several Nigerian companies, including OpenSkys Limited, to bid for a contract to handle the day-to-day operations.
According to Shuaibu, rather than bid, Mr. Offor hijacked the system, claiming that the frequency band on which the network was built belonged to his firm.
“Based on this spurious claim, he essentially made a bid to have his company take over the network as a majority stakeholder in a partnership – with the government having a minor stake,” the group said.
It, however, expressed hope that Buhari, known for his anti-corruption stance, will thoroughly investigate the matter once he assumes office.
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