Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, are reacting to the ongoing installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and floodlights across communities to boost security in the state. While many voiced optimism over the development, others raised concerns, citing maintenance and monitoring. They noted that good projects are initiated in Nigeria, but in the end, they fail due to poor management. The move comes amid incessant attacks, killings and other criminal activities, which the government said will be curbed by the new surveillance infrastructure. Our correspondent, who went round the city centre, reports that the security devices are mounted on poles and other strategic installations. According to Joyce Ramnap, State Commissioner for Information and Communication, the devices were deployed to be able to help curb crime and threats and reduce darkness. She said that, to improve security in the state, the state government has approved the installation of security gadgets in various communities, including Anguwan Rukuba, Bauchi Road, University of Jos Mado community, Yelwan Zangam, Gangare, among others. Aliyu Alkasim, a security expert and Criminologist, described the development as wonderful, saying, “It is a good idea. The world is digitalising. We are moving forward from the traditional security mechanism to a digital security mechanism. This can go a long way in helping security architecture in the state and the country at large. It would be a kind of early warning and early system signal. “But the major problem is the sustainability of the infrastructure because many states have attempted it and failed. However, we are hoping that this time, it wouldn’t fall.“ Christopher Piwuna, President of ASUU, also reacted to the development, saying, “We have many CCTV in this country that don’t work. So, is there an infrastructure that would support this CCTV? Is there enough power to make it work efficiently? These are some of the questions one should ask. “I believe that the availability of CCTV can help greatly in solving some of the criminal activities in the areas. There is also a need to have people who can monitor it. My problem with this kind of project is that the government will start it, make people feel hopeful, and it will fail.” For Khalid Muhammed, “The installation may not yield any positive results because we have seen the same during the Corona Virus outbreak. It did not work. Our major problem is: can it work? Would there be a monitoring room where people would be controlling the devices? “For me, it is better we encourage the security personnel and give them the necessary support than the CCTV.”
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