The Arewa Youth Assembly has called on the National Assembly to enact laws prescribing death penalty for public infrastructure vandalism.
The group made the call following the incessant vandalization of power towers in the Northern part of the country.
Recall that the entire North East sub-region have been thrown into total darkness for more than two months.
The Assembly warned that if the activities of the vandals remain unchecked, they could escalate from destroying power towers to other public infrastructure. They maintained that this might hinder the growth and development of the region.
This was disclosed by the North East Coordinator of the Arewa group, Dr. Usman Jada. He said the vandals of three additional power line towers along the Biu-Damboa 132kv transmission line are saboteurs.
Jada stressed that vandals are determined to keep the North East region in darkness despite Government’s efforts to restore power.
He said, “We join other voices of reason in the North East region to condemn the vandalization of three towers (T1690, T1691, and T1692) along the Biu–Danboa 132kV transmission line. And also the theft of 16 spans of conductors, which have continued to leave the North East region without a proper supply of electricity.
“This is an act of deliberate sabotage to frustrate the TCN’s effort to meet the May 27th deadline. And it is no coincidence that it happened at such a time. This is when the TCN is making massive efforts to reconstruct the already vandalized towers.
“These vandals must be stopped. Therefore, we are calling on the National Assembly to enact laws carrying the death penalty for anyone found vandalizing any facility. Otherwise, they will keep destroying facilities meant for the public. Thereby exposing host communities to the dangers of destroyed towers and unending darkness.
“It is also paramount for North East stakeholders, the Vice President, the National Security Adviser, and North East Governors to come together. They should rally support for the Minister of Power and TCN Management to ensure the protection of critical government facilities and installations in the North East.”
The Coordinator stated that the Arewa group will soon commence a sensitization campaign across the region. This is to educate the people on the importance of safeguarding public infrastructure.
Jada further appealed to security agencies to be proactive in the protection of public infrastructure. He urged them to apprehend those responsible for the power line vandalism across the region.
source: Vanguard
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