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The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to enforce the state’s Environmental Management Protection Law (2017) in order to curb the activities of scavengers in the state.
The House passed the resolution through voice votes at the plenary in Ikeja on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
The Speaker, Mrs. Mojisola Meranda, who presided over the plenary, said the House was worried about the growing cases of vandalisation and stealing of critical infrastructure, such as manhole covers, pedestrian bridge railings and streetlight cables in the state.
According to her, the trend could undermine the state’s infrastructural development efforts, if allowed to continue.
The speaker, thereafter, urged all Sanwo-Olu to direct relevant law enforcement agencies to arrest any person found stealing and vandalising public infrastructure and ensure that offenders face the full wrath of the law.
“This House notes the relentless efforts of the state in providing critical social infrastructure, aimed at fulfilling electoral promises, delivering the dividends of democracy, and improving the welfare of its citizenry.
“This House further notes that we have enacted various laws, including the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and Environmental Management Protection Law, 2017, to protect and maintain the infrastructure, provided by the government.
“We have also observed that these infrastructure, including the roads with underground ducts, iron-cast manhole covers and bridges with steel safety rails amongst others, are designed to enhance the quality of life for residents.
“This is by providing safety for road users; reducing traffic congestion on highways; preventing the loss of productive man-hours, drainage systems to prevent flooding and improve the overall road network system in the state.
“This House is concerned about the growing menace of scavengers and criminally minded individuals who, through their activities, vandalise and steal critical infrastructure,” Meranda said.
She said enforcement of environmental laws was imperative to ensure that appropriate sanctions were applied against violators and criminally minded scavengers.
Meranda also urged the state government to come up with composite materials such as glass-reenforced plastic manhole cover as these materials have little to no resale value in the scrap market.
She also urged the state government, as a matter of urgency, to replace all the manhole covers that had been removed, in order to ensure safety of Lagos residents.
Meranda urged the governor to direct the Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Strategy, to embark on awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of manhole theft and encourage residents to report suspicious activities.
She said the government could create a whistleblower process to garner information that could lead to the arrest of manhole thieves.
Meranda said the government could raise community vigilance to encourage local communities to form neighbourhood groups, including Community Development Associations, to monitor and protect public infrastructure.
By Adekunle Williams
