by Ogunyemi Bukola

Members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly have denied having any knowledge of the widely reported $40m Internet surveillance contract the Federal Government allegedly awarded to an Israeli company, Elbit Systems.

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who spoke to journalists over the weekend, said he does not know if a provision for the project was in the 2013 budget, and was not sure if the Senate would investigate the matter.

He said, “I am not aware of the contract. We don’t have those details. There are thousands of items in the budget. It will be difficult for me to say.”

Asked if the Senate would investigate the matter, he said, “I cannot answer that question now. It will simply be academic to give any answer since I do not have the details.”

Also, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Lawan, admitted to not having the details on the said surveillance contract.

He said, “I am trying to get the details of the contract. I don’t have to be frivolous; once I get the details, then we will talk.”

A report had surfaced on the internet on 25 April, 2013 that the Jonathan administration had awarded a $40m Internet surveillance contract to an Israeli firm. The report alleged that the project is to help spy on citizens’ computers and Internet communications under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security.