The House of Representatives has mandated its Joint Committee on ICT, Human Rights, Justice and National Security to investigate the 40 million dollars Internet surveillance contract awarded by the Federal Government to a foreign firm.
The house, which mandate the committee on Thursday, advised the Federal Government to suspend all action in respect of the contract.
The Federal Government had allegedly awarded an Internet ‘spying’ contract to a foreign firm to monitor computers and Internet activities of Nigerians on the web.
The committee is expected to report back to the house within three weeks.
This resolution followed a motion raised under matters of national importance by Rep. Ibrahim Gusau (ANPP-Zamfara), which was unanimously adopted without debate.
Gusau had told colleagues that the contract was awarded secretly and in wanton disregard to due process, Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Public Procurement Act.
He said that the contract violated the basic privacy provisions in Chapter 4 Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
He noted that the contract awarded under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security, might not be the answer to the security challenges in the country.
The legislator stressed that if executed, the right of Nigerians to private and family lives would be violated.
