The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the state government to strengthen security across the state and intensify efforts to curb the vandalisation of public infrastructure.
The lawmakers also urged the government to go beyond arresting suspects, stressing that those who buy, sell and profit from vandalised public property must be identified and prosecuted.
Speaking during plenary on Monday, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa urged the state government to ensure that perpetrators of infrastructure vandalism and their collaborators face the full weight of the law.
Obasa also called on relevant ministries and agencies to properly disseminate and effectively enforce environmental and infrastructure-related laws.
The House further urged the government to equip and train local security outfits, including the Neighbourhood Watch, and other enforcement agencies to improve their capacity.
The resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Aro Moshood, who expressed concern over the rising vandalisation of Lagos State infrastructure and public facilities.
Moshood described it as disturbing that facilities provided with taxpayers’ money were being destroyed, thereby imposing additional financial burdens on residents.
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He said: “It baffles me that some residents of Lagos ought to be experiencing this kind of situation, knowing that we are paying for these facilities with our money.”
The lawmaker called for closer scrutiny of individuals and businesses purchasing scraps from suspected vandals.
“Public funds are being used to provide these facilities, and when they are damaged or vandalised, public funds are again required to repair them. This places an additional burden on taxpayers,” he stated.
Moshood stressed that persons arrested for vandalising public infrastructure should not be released without prosecution and, if found guilty, should be sentenced accordingly.
The lawmaker urged the government to put proper measures in place to protect public infrastructure and ensure residents can effectively use the facilities provided.
“We, as citizens and representatives of the people, need to take this matter seriously. All the relevant agencies need to sit down, collaborate and respond appropriately to these challenges,” he said.
Contributing, Hon. Lawal-Olumegbon said the state government should work closely with all local government areas to address the problem effectively.
Also speaking, Hon. Ogundipe noted that vandalisation was affecting constituencies across the state and called for greater collaboration among government agencies and enforcement authorities to end the menace.
The Assembly resolved that sustainable measures must be developed to tackle the issue and safeguard public assets across Lagos.