•Charges Homeland Ministry, Security Agencies On Proactiveness
By Onyekachi Eze
It is a game over for vandals destroying public property mounted in the Owerri Municipality and across the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State, as the State Lawmakers have moved to forestall discipline.
Piqued over the continuous destruction of street lights and solar lamps by yet to be identified culprits in the State, the Imo State House of Assembly has risen to condemn the act, as well as charged the relevant Ministry and agencies on optimal service delivery.
The House Members in a motion moved by the Onuimo Lawmaker, Hon Uba James Esile, at yesterday, October 16, 2024, plenary session hit the gavel against any sort of vandalism in Imo.
Duly seconded by his Ehime Mbano counterpart, Hon. Benard Ozoemelam, Hon Esile noted that the motion seeks to fight street criminality and ensure security in all the nooks and crannies of the State.
Regrettably, he opined that with the quality of projects done by Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration, vandals of such infrastructure should be dealt with and made to face the law.
The Lawmaker in his appraisal of the 3R administration confessed that since his Childhood, he was only witnessing street lights cut across Ezeolokwe in his Onuimo LGA with solid road construction, courtesy of Uzodimma.
In his words however, Esile said, it has become worrisome to witness those street lights in Owerri and its environs destroyed, looted and therefore defacing the Owerri streets.
“This act however is posing another security threats to the State. Part of the reasons for such street lights and solar lamps by the governor was to lighten up the cities at night and also to add beauty to it.
“Unfortunately, never do wells, enemies of the government who doesn’t like to see any good are rendering these infrastructures useless. The lights cost the State fortune to install. How can somebody decide to be enemy of the state? These should be guarded by the people not even the State.
The citizens should own every project sited in their domain and safeguard them, not to destroy them. The governor is a man who knows what quality entails. All we all should do is to rise up to the occasion to keep them safe”, Said Esile.
Further prayers of the motion read,”
“Whereas the Street Lights, with Solar Lamps have not only helped to beautify the roads and provide light for vehicles at night, but also provided security for residents in the state, especially, in the State Capital, Owerri.
“Observed that these street lights with Solar Lamps are being pulled down and vandalized by criminal elements in the society, thereby causing great economic loss to the State government and threat of insecurity in the State, which has made the recent criminal trend of Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Car Snatching and the ugly activities of Scrap Metal Scavenges;
“Noting that it has become urgently necessary to safeguard Government properties and installations, which will ultimately save cost, guard and protect lives and properties of residents in the State”.
In his contribution, Hon Clinton Amadi representing Owerri Municipal decried the spate of the ugly trend. He maintained that culprits should be prosecuted, even as he pointed accusing fingers at iron scavengers roaming the streets.
Other contributors; Honorables Udeze Ernest Okechukwu, Kanayo Onyemaechi, Innocent Ikpamezie, Johnleoba Iheoha, Sam Osuji, Kingsley Ozurumba and Ikenna Ihezuo all described the occurrence as disheartening and unheard of in other places.
They were of the view that it was a calculated attempt by the actors to discredit the government of Senator Hope Uzodimma, knowing full well he meant well for the State.
While they called on different security operatives to wake up to the occasion and do their jobs diligently, President Generals, Vigilante groups, and the LGAs were as well enjoined to join the campaign against vandalisation of government property.
Residents were not also left out in the call to secure every project around them for best use of its implementation.
The plenary which was presided by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu, after Members contributions thus resolved to condemn the act of vandalization of street lights, solar lamps and other public utilities in Imo State.
The House also urged the Imo State government through the Ministry of Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs and other security related Agencies to collaborate, checkmate and stop the emerging trend of pulling down street lights and stealing the solar lamps, and fish out the perpetrators and prosecute them, adequately.
