By Temilade Aruya
ON a daily basis, public infrastructure are being destroyed and vandalised in their numbers with government losing millions of naira to repair and, sometimes, replace them. These are funds that could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy and human development projects that can benefit the populace.
Interestingly, public infrastructure such as parks and gardens, bridges, traffic lights and streetlights, road signboards, road medians, bus stop shelters, public waste bins, drainages, roads, electricity poles and cables, and a host of others are state-owned property that were actually put in place with taxpayers money and for the collective good of the society.
The lifespan of these infrastructure is dependent on their usage and maintenance culture. It is, however, quite unfortunate to observe that infrastructural maintenance culture and good civic sense is lacking among Nigerians. The flagrant abuse of public property is appalling . There have been instances of people being arrested for vandalizing aluminum rails on over-head bridges to sell to steel companies while some have been arrested for vandalizing electricity cables and transformers. Gone are the days when public infrastructure was safe in the country.
The situation is so bad now that communities and residents where these public infrastructure are located provide additional security to be able to enjoy them. These are public property set up and maintained with millions of naira only to be destroyed or stolen by the same people whom they were originally meant for.
Another way public property are being ruined is through the careless and reckless attitude of users who often erroneously believe that since they are government property, they belong to nobody and as such are nobody’s business. Thus, they could be used without regard for safety or caution. A cursory look at the state of some road infrastructure in Lagos state, for instance, indicates that most of the damaged road props like pavements, medians, sign boards, traffic lights, streetlights, bus stop shelters and the likes are destroyed by people who care less about them. It is unfortunate that government had to invest more funds to put restraints and concrete reinforcements on the road to protect some road props and flowers planted to beautify the landscape as people rammed and marched on them at will, destroying them in the process.
The environment is constantly defaced with litter. In spite of several enlightenment campaigns people still violate standard regulations and social safety rules meant for their good. From the stark illiterate street hawker to the well educated office worker who throws all sorts on the road, no one is actually exempted. This flagrant disregard for public property and the environment cuts across different facets from simple non-compliance with environmental laws, non-use of pedestrian bridges, defecating in public places, blockage of drainages with waste and dumping of refuse in undesignated places, of traffic lights, road signs and rules.
It is sad to realise that in most cases, people comply only when they are compelled to. Recently, the Lagos State Government embarked on massive road reconstruction in Ojodu-Berger area of the State with the expansion of the road and the construction of pedestrian bridge and bus stops with iron barricades to rein in the excesses of commuters and transporters and prevent them from taking up the road and causing traffic gridlock.
The iron barricades were also put on the median to prevent people from crossing the road as it has been observed that people don’t often engage in voluntary compliance as they prefer to cross the road rather than use the pedestrian bridge.
In spite of the risks involved in crossing the expressway, many still prefer to embark on such suicide mission. It is absurd to observe that people often prefer to disobey rules and regulations to their own detriment. The government also constructed a modern garage with the aim of bringing some sanity to the area and consequently make life better for Lagosians. The transformation of the Ojodu- Berger area is, indeed, amazing and commendable, but it is saddening to observe that the barricades put in place to guide people and ensure compliance are already being damaged by careless and reckless transporters as there are dents on a few of them already.
Governments across the country must ensure full and total compliance with the laws and endeavor to use the apparatus of the state within their disposal to ensure that people develop a civic sense and imbibe the culture of discipline and respect for law and order. In Lagos, in particular, the government needs to revisit enforcement and ensure that offenders face the wrath of the law to serve as deterrent while appropriate structures should be put on ground to monitor and protect public property such that vandals can be caught in the act. To achieve this, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), which was created to address such, must be further strengthened to effectively deliver on its mandate.
Nigerians must embrace civility and an environmentally friendly culture. It is high time people began to take responsibility for the environment. As a people, we must promote and uphold patriotic values and ethics. It is not enough to blame government for virtually everything; the citizens also have their role to play in the development of an orderly society. A situation where refuse is dumped in water channels and canals, thereby leading to the degradation of the environment, is unacceptable. The earlier such uncivilized habits are done with, the better for us all.
Aruya writes from Lagos.