Lagos Assembly calls out Sanwo-Olu over increasing theft of public infrastructure

Meranda

Lagos Speaker, Meranda

By Adekunle Williams

The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to enforce the state’s Environmental Management Protection Law (2017) to combat the activities of scavengers in the state.

The resolution was passed through a voice vote at the plenary in Ikeja on Tuesday.

Presiding over the plenary, Speaker, Lagos Assembly, Mrs. Mojisola Meranda expressed the House’s concern over the increasing cases of vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure, such as manhole covers, pedestrian bridge railings, and streetlight cables.

She noted that if left unchecked, this trend could undermine the state’s efforts to advance its infrastructure development.

The Speaker called on Sanwo-Olu to instruct relevant law enforcement agencies to arrest individuals caught stealing or vandalising public infrastructure and ensure they face the full force of the law.

“This House acknowledges the state’s continuous efforts in providing essential social infrastructure aimed at fulfilling electoral promises, delivering the dividends of democracy, and enhancing the welfare of residents,” she said.

“We also note that laws, including the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and the Environmental Management Protection Law, 2017, have been enacted to protect and maintain government infrastructure.”

Meranda further highlighted the importance of the infrastructure, such as roads with underground ducts, iron-cast manhole covers, and steel safety rails on bridges, in improving residents’ quality of life.

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These assets contribute to road safety, reduce traffic congestion, prevent flooding, and improve the overall road network.

“We are deeply concerned about the growing menace of scavengers and criminally-minded individuals who vandalise and steal these critical infrastructures,” she said.

The Speaker emphasised the need for strict enforcement of environmental laws to ensure violators and thieves are adequately punished.

Meranda also proposed the use of alternative materials, such as glass-reinforced plastic manhole covers, which have little to no resale value in the scrap market.

She urged the state government to replace all stolen manhole covers promptly to ensure the safety of residents.

Additionally, she called on the governor to direct the Commissioner for Information and Strategy to launch awareness campaigns to educate the public on the dangers of manhole theft and encourage residents to report suspicious activities.

The Speaker suggested the establishment of a whistleblower process to gather information that could lead to the arrest of manhole thieves.

She also recommended strengthening community vigilance by encouraging local neighbourhood groups, including Community Development Associations, to monitor and protect public infrastructure. (NAN)

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