The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to protect public infrastructure and report acts of vandalism, following alleged attempts to steal construction materials from the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway.
The appeal was made by Mr. Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, on Thursday.
Nwaze said the alleged vandalism of materials on the newly constructed coastal highway amounted to an attack on a major national investment being executed for the benefit of Nigerians.
He said the development was particularly concerning because it occurred shortly after the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, CON, inaugurated the Coastal Highway Guards in Lagos.
The initiative, according to the statement, is aimed at enhancing the security of the multi-billion-naira Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway and other critical infrastructure along the corridor.
Nwaze said the coastal highway was one of the major infrastructure projects being implemented by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that the project was expected to improve connectivity, facilitate the movement of people and goods, stimulate economic activities and open up communities along Nigeria’s coastline.
The ministerial aide stressed that protecting public infrastructure should not be left entirely to government and security agencies.
He warned that the removal or destruction of construction materials could delay projects, increase costs, create safety hazards and deprive communities of the benefits of completed infrastructure.
“Public infrastructure is public property,” Nwaze stated, urging Nigerians to take ownership of government projects by reporting suspicious activities in their communities.
He said the Federal Government was continuing to invest in roads and other critical infrastructure across the country, but citizens must complement those efforts by protecting public assets.
According to him, the responsibility for successful delivery and protection of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway rests on all stakeholders, including government, co0pntractors, security agencies and citizens.
Nwaze added that Nigerians would ultimately be the users and beneficiaries of the highway and therefore should not become agents of its destruction.