The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the police command in Lagos State had on Friday arrested a suspected vandal removing LED road stud lights on the newly renovated Third Mainland Bridge.
According to the police, the suspect had already removed 10 of the lights before he was caught by the policemen on patrol.
Kesha said the ministry would not tolerate any vandalism on public infrastructure, adding that police trucks had been stationed on the bridge to allow officers to quickly respond to incidents and check vandalism.
She said: “We have written to the Commissioner of Police to ensure more surveillance on the Third Mainland Bridge, and we have stationed police trucks on the bridge.
“Police officers now patrol the bridge more frequently; these increased security measures have led to the arrest of a number of miscreants, who were vandalizing public property.
“We saw that the cat eye lights were vandalized, and the vandals were promptly arrested and taken to police custody.”
“More miscreants were also arrested for vandalism even on Monday. This shows a strong response from the authorities. Our eyes are on the Third Mainland Bridge,” she added.
Cat eye lights are small reflective markers on the road that help with visibility at night.
Kesha also regretted vandalism on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, saying: “The newly installed streetlights on Kara Bridge on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway suffered vandalism as soon as the cables were completed.
“As a result, the streetlights are now standing there but cannot be used because the cables are missing.
“We are waiting for the contractors to re-do the wiring and energize it. Once the repairs are completed, we ask the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to increase patrol in the area to prevent further vandalism.’’
She said the Federal Government had replaced almost all manhole covers stolen by miscreants on Federal roads in Lagos State.
She said to prevent further theft, the ministry used Polyvinyl Chloride. (PVC) on the Third Mainland Bridge, replacing iron gratings on manholes with it, adding that PVC was cheaper than iron gratings, but it reduced overall replacement costs.
She added that PVC was potentially easier to identify and less attractive to thieves.
The Federal Controller of Works, who expressed worry at the rate of vandalism of public infrastructure, urged vandals to repent, warning that anyone caught vandalizing public property would be dealt with by the police.
She expressed the government’s determination to keep its projects on track despite setbacks.
She said, “The setbacks have not, in any way, affected project implementation; the government is doing what it is supposed to do. We are increasing surveillance to protect our common investments, the bridges, and lights.”
She advised Nigerians to protect public property as if they were their private property, adding that Nigerians should report any vandalism or potential threats on public property to relevant authorities.
The Chief Executive Officer of Dembally Ltd., a real estate development company, Mr Ayotunde Bally, while commenting said vandalism wastes resources.
“As a construction professional, I know that building infrastructure requires significant investments and efforts. Vandalism undermines these efforts,” he said and urged security agencies to do more to prevent vandalism.
He also advised governments to engage local communities and educate them on the importance of protecting public infrastructure. “There is a need to work together to build a culture of ownership and responsibility for our national assets,” he said.
Bally said vandalism of public property showed a lack of civic responsibility, disregard for the common good and selfishness.
He advised that law enforcement should be strengthened, and more stringent penalties imposed on vandals.
A mechanical engineer, Chikezie Obioma, said vandalism had significant effects on project implementation, adding that it could lead to a delay in project implementation as damaged infrastructure would need to be repaired or replaced, causing setbacks.
According to him, vandalism would result in additional costs for repairs, replacements, and security measures.
