Abuja: Authorities detain expatriates for alleged streetlight vandalization

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in Nigeria has handed over an expatriate to the police, for allegedly vandalising streetlight facilities in the FCT.

The coordinator of the council, Chief Felix Obuah, disclosed this in Abuja after inspecting some of the vandalised streetlights along Kubwa Expressway and other parts of the FCT.

Obuah, along with the management of the council’s Facility Maintenance Department, inspected 18 out of the 21 lots of the streetlight facilities in the FCT.

Although Obuah did not identify the expatriates, he described them as highly prominent foreign contractors doing business with FCT Administration.

He said scavengers and miscreants had been blamed as the culprits involved in the vandalisation of streetlights in the capital city, adding however that high level contractors were involved.

“Today we discovered that high level contractors are involved in sabotaging the efforts of the FCT Minister and AMMC to ensure streetlights are working in the capital city.

 

“We have arrested a very prominent contractor, an expatriate who was involved in vandalising streetlights, probably to enable them to get the streetlight contract.

 

“As I speak to you, one of the expatriates is in detention, for vandalising our streetlight poles.

He said that he would submit a full report to the Minister ( Wike ) over the issue with a view to take action on those who were vandalising and those buying the vandalised facilities.

“I went to Kubwa road, Jabi, Shehu Yar’adua Way, among other streets and discovered that most of the streetlight particularly in Kubwa axis have been vandalised,

 

“I am saddened by the level of vandalisation that has happened in some of these lots.

 

“We can be fixing street lights while some miscreants and expatriates are busy vandalising, sabotaging the good efforts of this government,” he said.

He said that the FCT Minister had earlier given AMMC a matching order to make sure that all street lights are working adding that the council engaged contractors to restore the streetlights, maintain and secure them against vandals.

“But when we visited some of the streets, we discovered that most of the contractors are not living up to expectations. There is no security.

 

“After they finished installation in the night they leave and vandals take over the space and vandalise the installations, removing mostly the cables.

 

“Those that are not living up to expectations we will recommend relieving them of the contract and handing over the job to  competent contractors that are ready to do the job,” he added.

The coordinator said that following the direct intervention by the AMMC, streetlights in Jabi, Solomon Lar street, Umar Yar’adua way have been restored.

He added that hunters and vigilante groups have been engaged to secure the facility against vandals.

“I will no longer sit down in the office, I will move with my team every night every  day, to make sure that we don’t allow these vandals to have their way.

 

“As I speak to you, this is almost 9 p.m. and we are still working,” Obuah said.