Enugu – Enugu State Ministry of Works and
Infrastructure has urged residents in the state to help government
safeguard public infrastructure within their domains.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Patrick Ikpenwa,
made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on
Tuesday in Enugu.
According to Ikpenwa, safeguarding public infrastructure is part of
the maintenance culture of the state government in view of its
limited resources.
“Another challenge, basic challenge on the side of this maintenance
is the attitude of the people; the road users some of them are just
very funny.
“I can’t understand somebody will just come out of his house and then
dump refuse at the centre of the road; sometimes inside the gutter. So
where do you expect water to flow?
“So, we are also trying to kind of sensitise the people.
“We have a programme we call `Ministry of Works Half-Hour ( a radio
programme) is a way of trying to sensitise people and also interact
with the people. So we do that to create awareness.
“And in the same programme, we have told them repeatedly what they
should not be doing on these roads, that these roads we should own
them.
“It is not just about constructing them. But when it is constructed
it should be owned by us; and we should own it and jealously for that
matter.
“Then, issues like burning of tyres on the road; cutting across (the
road) indiscriminately.
”When somebody wants to provide some services here and there they
should take permission (from the ministry) and then, it should be done
properly.
“Erection of bumps or what have you, there are ways it will be done
and done properly.
“So, we are actually pleading with the public to know that they
should help us, even it is on the side of surveillance.
”If you see somebody trying to work against our efforts, let the person
know (the negative consequence) and if the person refuses you let us
(ministry) know.’’
The commissioner further said that the ministry had started a
statewide sensitisation, especially in the rural areas, against the
abuse of public infrastructure.
NAN recalls that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had given
priority to the construction and re-construction of rural roads in
order to open up the hinterland for development and investment.
The government had also earmarked 24 rural roads for construction or
rehabilitation under its rural development programme and that work had
already started on some rural roads. (NAN)
