Lagos urges residents to protect infrastructure

Lagos State Government has urged residents to guard infrastructure and other government projects in their localities against vandalism.

The government said it had observed that many residents always ignored damage to government projects and in some cases, neglected them because they felt it was not their responsibilities.

The Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, said this on Friday at the inauguration of a micro water scheme and a rural electrification project worth N55.3m.

Araromi community in Ikorodu and Eleran-Igbe community in Ibeju Lekki were the beneficiaries of the projects.

While Araromi got the micro-water scheme, which cost N23.27m to rehabilitate, the rural electrification in Ibeju Lekki cost N32m.

The inauguration of the projects was part of activities marking World Community Day to be held on Thursday in Lagos.

Ojelabi, while inaugurating the Araromi Micro-Water Scheme, said, “This project was first built in 1990, but it developed fault six years ago. The government came in to rehabilitate it in order to provide water for the people.

“This project, like other government projects in our communities, was neglected and later developed fault because residents of this community felt that government projects were not their responsibilities. We use this opportunity to appeal to you to protect this water scheme because the money you paid through your taxes was used in rehabilitating it.

“The contractor will manage the scheme for the next six months. The community should monitor the project.”

Head of Department, Rural Water and Sanitation, Mr. Adisa Yinusa, explained that the project had two industrial boreholes, two filtration tanks, a 60 KVA generator, distribution network of about one kilometre and 10 dual stand posts, located in different parts of the community.

He said it was capable of supplying 10,000 gallons of water to the community on daily basis, adding that the uninterrupted water supply would reduce water borne diseases.

At Eleran-Igbe community, Ojelabi said the electrification project would scale up development in the area, urging the community to assume ownership of the project and ward off vandals.

Head of Department, Rural Electrification, Mr. Biola Olowu, said the community had not experienced government’s power supply for the past 200 years.