BEVERLY HILLS, June 07, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government on Monday held a town hall meeting on the protection of public infrastructure, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Ministry of Information and Culture had earlier launched the town hall meeting series in Lagos on April 25th, 2016.
Ministers at the event included for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; FCT, Mohammed Bello; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; among others.
The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Information, has in attendance stakeholders from all walks of life, including security, traditional institutions and political institutions.
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, in his opening address said despite the paucity of funds, the current administration invested massively in infrastructure to tackle the deficit that was in existence before now.
He, however, lamented that efforts by the current administration to develop public infrastructure in the country was being truncated by activities of people bent on destruction.
Mohammed said assets destroyed included rail lines, pipelines and facilities, as well as offices of government agencies, including police stations and INEC offices.
Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola in his address listed Federal highway infrastructure that had been damaged.
They included Otedola Bridge, Kara Bridge, Tamburawa Bridge, Obalende Bridge among others, which, according to him, cost the government over N4 billion to repair.
Fashola said further that encroachment on the Right of Way by members of the public, erection of illegal bumps on Federal Highway by some communities, non-removal of broken down/accidental vehicles, damage to road directional signs and other road furniture, use of under bridge and major setbacks.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said foreigners also supported the destruction of rail lines in Nigeria.
He explained how a Chinese was caught in Jos, the Plateau State capital, vandalising rail lines alongside some Nigerians.
He said at least about 200 cases of rail line vandalism had been recorded in recent times, mostly in the northern region of the country, with the North-Central having the highest number of 50 cases.
Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello said in Abuja over 25,000 manhole covers had been tampered with by vandals, and that the sum of N2.6 billion was required to fix them.
According to him, there were instances where security personnel had been found to connive with criminals in carrying out their crime.
He also expressed displeasure over the delay in the prosecution of offenders by the courts.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in his address reiterated the call by earlier speakers to strengthen laws for the prosecution of people who engaged in the destruction of public property.
President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, represented by Senator Binos Yaroe, urged the ministers to propose to the National Assembly laws they deemed necessary for the checkmating activities of those destroying public assets, as he assured that the National Assembly would not hesitate to pass such laws.
