Stakeholders in the South-South have decried the unabated vandalising of public infrastructure by unpatriotic elements in the region.

In separate interviews, they lamented that criminal elements are thwarting the government’s efforts to provide critical infrastructure for the public.

According to them, the infrastructure worst hit are power installations, telecommunication, oil and gas installations, roads and bridges.

Obeten Obeten, the head of administration at Cross River Infrastructure Safety and Regulatory Agency, said criminal elements destroyed the state’s valuable assets daily.

Mr Obeten condemned the theft of gully inlets, manhole covers and other flood containment infrastructure in Calabar and other cities.

To forestall the trend, Mr Obeten said the Cross River government should ban the movement of scrap materials in the state to stop evacuation of the stolen items by vandals. He, however, regretted that the law lacked enforcement by the relevant security authorities.

On the efforts by his agency, he said they established a synergy with the Cross River Water Board, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) and telecom operators on the protection of their assets.

Mr Obeten advocated community participation in project building to instil a sense of ownership and willingness to protect the assets. He also urged the government to implement laws protecting public property to curtail the rate at which public infrastructure is vandalised.

Solomon Eremi of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said vandalising telecommunications, power installations, and road infrastructures was rampant in the region.

Henry Ekini, a lawyer and national legal adviser of the Committee of Human Rights (CDHR) in Port Harcourt, condemned the rampant vandalising of government facilities.

He said it was disturbing the rate at which pipelines, telecommunications and power infrastructures were being vandalised and destroyed by hoodlums.

Mr Ekini condemned the incessant removal of manhole covers and steel protectors from roads in Port-Harcourt.

“This anti-social behaviour is condemnable as it has over the years led to avoidable accidents, causing injuries and sometimes death of the victims,” said Mr Ekini.

Mr Ekini listed poverty, greed, drug use, high unemployment rate and poor security network among the reasons for the rising rate of vandalism in the state.

“Although these factors are no justification to commit crime, the implication is that, if they are not addressed, more persons, particularly youths, will take to crime,” he said.

The lawyer suggested a multi-dimensional approach, including more employment opportunities, improved access to education and community sensitisation to the dangers of vandalism as measures to curtail the menace.

Mr Ekini suggested deploying technology, such as CCTV, drones and security control rooms on the streets to checkmate crime and urged the government to improve funding for maintenance agencies to preserve public facilities before they decay.

“Above all, residents have a huge role to play, as they must be vigilant and look out for suspicious behaviours around public property,” Mr Ekini said.

Onayesemi Berida, a federal controller of works in Akwa Ibom, said the replacement of iron and steel components with concrete would protect some of the public infrastructure.

According to Mr Berida, iron elements are always attractive and easily disposable by vandals, while concrete elements are not attractive and difficult to be taken away and sold.

(NAN)