Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has urged citizens and residents of the State to take ownership of public infrastructure in their locality.
The Deputy Governor gave the charge during an unscheduled visit to MM Way, close to the popular Immaculate Conception College, ICC in Benin City to assess the level of damage done to converts and drainage systems in the area by heavy-duty trucks.
Shaibu who was accompanied by top government functionaries to inspect the damaged facilities frowned at the lackadaisical attitude of the truck drivers who park recklessly. He explained that gas pipelines run through the area, buried underground. Shaibu warned that the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty trucks in the area could result in explosions and cause collateral damage to lives and property.
“People should take ownership of what the government has done for them. You can’t be expecting the government to keep spending scarce resources on one project over and over again. We must protect our facilities against possible damage”, Shaibu stated.
The Deputy Governor in a swift response to public outcry over the menace of truck drivers had visited the area last Sunday where he gave a directive to relevant government agencies to tow away 12 heavy-duty trucks.
Meanwhile, Edo State Government has set up a Taskforce headed by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, to investigate the activities of the offending truck drivers and charge them to a court of competent jurisdiction for willful and malicious damage to public property.
Other members of the Taskforce include the CSO, Government House; MD of EDSTMA; Edo State Sector Commander, FRSC; Coordinator, Edo State Security Network and Head, Public Works Volunteer, PUWOV.