Vandalism: Umahi's Aide Warns Nigerians Against Destroying Public Infrastructure

A suspect caught with construction materials 

"While the government was investing heavily in roads and other infrastructure across the country, Nigerians must ensure that such investments were protected for the benefit of present and future generations." Nwaze.

"vandalism could delay construction, increase project costs, create safety risks and deprive communities of the benefits expected from the project.

..... Says “Public infrastructure is public property.” 

.... Calls on Nigerians to report suspicious activities around public infrastructure rather than ignore acts of vandalism.

The recently observed trend by some unscrupulous Nigerians that carry out acts of vandalism against public infrastructure, following reports of alleged theft and destruction of construction materials at sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway, has been condemned by the Federal Government.

The condemnation came after pictures emerged showing individuals allegedly removing and carting away materials deployed for the construction of the multi-billion-naira coastal road project.

The condemnation came from Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, who described the development as an attack on a major national investment, stressing that the consequences of such acts would ultimately be borne by Nigerians.

Nwaze, who expressed this position via a statement on Thursday, said the incident was particularly disturbing, coming days after the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, inaugurated the Coastal Highway Guards in Lagos to strengthen security around the project and other critical infrastructure along the route.

Nwaze pointed out that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway was one of the major infrastructure projects being delivered by the administration of President Bola Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with the potential to improve connectivity that would stimulate economic activities and facilitate the movement of people and goods along the coastline.

According to him, "vandalism could delay construction, increase project costs, create safety risks and deprive communities of the benefits expected from the project.

“Public infrastructure is public property,” he stressed while urging citizens to take responsibility for protecting government projects in their communities.

He called on Nigerians to report suspicious activities around public infrastructure rather than ignore acts of vandalism, noting that the government alone could not protect every project without citizens’ cooperation.

Nwaze appealed that the responsibility for safeguarding critical infrastructure should be shared among government, contractors, security agencies and citizens.

He added that while the government was investing heavily in roads and other infrastructure across the country, Nigerians must ensure that such investments were protected for the benefit of present and future generations.