The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has decried the incessant vandalism of manhole covers and flood containment infrastructure across the city.
To this end, the FCT Administration called on residents and security agencies to support government in protecting these public facilities.
Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr. Olusade Adesola made the call in Abuja during an inspection visit to some Streets and road stretch with cases of manhole cover removal in Abuja.
Mr Olusade noted that most of the recently replaced manhole covers made of ductile materials with less second -hand value, have also been vandalized and stolen, leading to poor drainage systems and consequent flooding on some city roads.
On cost implication, Mr Olusade who revealed that the installation of each gully inlet covers cost about #500, 000, appealed to residents to report anyone caught vandalizing this facilities to security agencies using the emergency number 112.
“In a distance of one kilometer, we can have more than 20, 30 floodwater covers, gully inlet covers and maybe one or two or three manhole covers and each gully inlet costs not less than N500,000. Now, if you multiply this by 20 kilometers, 80 kilometers, 200 kilometers, you know what this translates to. And this is in the face of very competing needs for the meagre resources that we have. This underscores the need for everyone to support the efforts of government to protect this road infrastructure”.
Mr Adesola also used the medium to cautioned members of the public against dumping refuse into drainages and gutters.
