The
House of Representatives has ordered the immediate suspension of the
$40 million (N6 billion) internet surveillance contract awarded secretly
by the Nigerian government to an Israeli firm.
A
house resolution approved Thursday, said no further action should be
taken on the controversial spy project, which has sparked national fury,
until three house committees complete an investigation in three weeks.
The
clandestine project, exposed by PREMIUM TIMES, was awarded by the
Jonathan administration to Elbit Systems, an Israeli Info tech firm, to
spy on millions of Nigerian internet users. It is seen as part of the
government’s widened clampdown on free media, and unrestrained use of
the internet to attack government officials and policies.
But
the authorities, which have not officially commented on the contract
despite its extensive attention, passed the project off as an
intelligence gathering effort in the face of growing insecurity and
fundamentalist threat.
In
a motion initiated by Ibrahim Gusau, the House said the project will
infringe on the privacy of Nigerians and argued that the so-called
intelligence gathering, “may not be the solution” to the nation’s
security troubles.
The
House also questioned the secrecy surrounding the contract award, which
lawmakers agreed violated federal financial regulations relating to
contract awards, as stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
Three
committees, namely, Information and Computer Technology, Human Rights,
and National Security, are to conduct inquiry into the project and make
its findings known in three weeks.
More details later…
Source: Premium Times
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