…Replaces iron railings with concrete guardrails
The Federal Government continues to contend with the unwholesome activities of hoodlums, urchins and outright thieves who vandalise road infrastructure provided to make life easier for Nigerians.
Of particular interest is the vandalism of iron railings on bridges across Lagos, which commuters say call for serious concern of all well-meaning Lagosians.
These vandals who cannibalise electric poles, wires, manhole slabs and iron railings on bridges have remained undaunted despite the threats to visit them with the instruments of the law.
Bridge vandalism has become an escalating concern in Lagos and some other cities in the country, with railings and other structural components frequently stolen or damaged.
In 2022, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos recovered 13bars of protective railings removed from the Ijora Bridge, after the suspects abandoned their vehicle and fled upon spotting the police.
Similarly, in 2023, the Federal Government was compelled to order the closure of the Iponri Bridge, citing vandalism as the cause of a structural failure in one section of the bridge. Also, a 30-year-old man caught vandalising Carter Bridge was arrested by the government.
Again, another 28-year-old man was arrested last year after he was apprehended by security operatives with 21 long pieces of aluminum railings.
As part of the innovations to discourage such vandalism, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works has begun to replace iron railings on bridges in Lagos with concrete guardrails.
The government has been bullish with its ongoing maintenance work of road infrastructure across Lagos, starting with the 3rd Mainland Bridge by the last administration and was carried forward by the current administration.
However, the government has taken further steps to provide more safety measures on critical infrastructure in Lagos with its current repair works on all bridges linking Lagos mainland to the Island.
The Federal Government is currently replacing the iron railings on the Iganmu, Ijora, Iponri, and Carter Bridges of the Lagos metropolis simultaneously, with concrete guardrails. Beyond providing safety to commuters, the move is also geared towards prolonging the life span of the bridges.
Read also: Lagos announces two-month traffic diversion for Independence Bridge repairs
Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, told BusinessDay that the ministry was working closely with the police on arresting vandals of critical road infrastructure across Lagos.
“Yes. We have accosted quite a number of them with the assistance of the police and some have been prosecuted,” Kesha said.
He disclosed that some of the vandalised and stolen railings have been recovered with the help of the police and that the government was leaving nothing to chance in its move to prevent further damage to critical road infrastructure across the state.
Although some people have argued that it was hunger that drives the vandals, many believe that it is bad behaviour and lack of regard for the laws of the land that breed such criminal acts. The laws must punish the perpetrators.
Some legal practitioners who spoke with BusinessDay said that vandalism of state-owned infrastructure was a criminal act and should be treated as such. They argued that resorting to criminality was not an excuse for hunger or poverty; rather it was an act that places other residents’ life at risk.
Gracious Akintayo, publisher, Providence Magazine, said the height of vandalism of iron rails on the bridges in Lagos and other things like manholes are worrisome and disturbing.
“The best way to address this issue is to put the security agencies at alert concerning vandals,” Akintayo said.
He urged the government to set-up a special task force monitoring unit purposely to protect road infrastructure. According to him, the priority and focus of the special monitoring unit would be on vandalism.
“Their duty would be to regularly patrol every area where facilities prone to vandalism are located within Lagos,” he said.
He said that the special unit could be a joint-task force of several security agencies within the metropolis. “This should involve the Police Force and other security agencies in Lagos metropolis.”
He also urged the government to take prosecution of arrested vandals seriously to send strong warnings to criminally minded individuals across the country.
“Anyone or group of people caught in relation to vandalism of government facilities should not only be arrested and prosecuted in a court of law, but must also do the time by facing the music,” Akintayo said.
