By ALEX ENEBELI

Enugu State Government on Friday, inaugurated a taskforce to provide surveillance and protection to public assets in the state.

Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), stated this during the inauguration of the taskforce at Government House, Enugu.

He said the Committee would be led by officers and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in collaboration with other security agencies in the state, adding that the taskforce commences work immediately.

Onyia said the inauguration followed incessant attacks on public infrastructure such as water galleries and electrical fittings on solar lights attached to water facilities by hoodlums who did not mean well for Enugu State.

Other assets to be protected are street light generators, transformer substations and both high pressure and distribution pipes.

The SSG noted that the action of hoodlums delayed the reticulation of water to residents of the state and in some cases denied innocent residents access to potable water with a huge cost on the government for replacement.

He further disclosed that in the wee hours of Friday, at about 2.00 am, hoodlums, in astonishingly large numbers, invaded the site of the ongoing installation of new ductile water pipes near the Holy Ghost Cathedral in Enugu, where they unleashed havoc and destroyed machines and other equipment.

He added that the vandals were, however, successfully repelled by security operatives deployed to the site before reinforcement came from Ogui Police Station.

“This unfortunate development is coming barely two weeks after the Enugu State Government issued a notice of final warning against the vandalism of water facilities in the state.

“Sadly, such acts of sponsored and intentional wanton destruction of government water facilities and other critical infrastructure by some unpatriotic elements in the state appear to have intensified.

“Recently, there have also been cases of the destruction of roadside kerbs on newly reconstructed roads by reckless truck drivers,” Onyia said.

He stated that government would henceforth treat such acts of vandalism not only as economic sabotage but also as acts of terrorism for which the offenders would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the actions of these saboteurs constitute various serious offences under the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Laws of the Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

“These offences include stealing and malicious damage, amongst others which are punishable by various terms of imprisonment and fine and the state government will not hesitate to bring the full weight of the Law on the perpetrators of these acts.

“The government hereby restates its firm resolve to protect all public facilities by reinforcing security surveillance around the facilities and arresting and prosecuting anybody or group of individuals caught in these acts of sabotage,’’ he added.

The SSG appealed to the public to take ownership of the facilities by protecting them and reporting the nefarious activities of vandals and economic saboteurs, using any of their communication channels to send their reports for immediate response. (NAN)

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