The Enugu State Government has directed that henceforth, safety and security of public utilities provided by government for the comfort and well-being of the people would be the primary responsibility of local government councils and development centres.

This was part of the decisions reached by the State Executive Council during its meeting in Enugu.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Igbonekwu Ogazimorah, who announced this while briefing the press after the meeting, said that the directive was necessitated by the reported incessant vandalization and removal of such facilities in different parts of the State.

According to the Commissioner, “the Executive Council received reports that vandalization of public utilities appears to be on the increase, especially vandalisation and removal of essential ones provided in the rural areas.”

The Commissioner recalled the reported cases of removal of two giant electric power generating plants in the premises of the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General and vandalization of electricity facilities at the Oji River area of the state.

He said that the local government authorities were to make adequate arrangements for the protection of these facilities, adding that already, government was reviewing the reported cases in the affected local governments, with a view to disciplining the Chief Executives of such council areas.

The Executive Council also expressed surprise that people still engage in wanton destruction of government’s properties, thereby causing untold hardship to the general public.

The Council therefore directed the State Ministry of Environment and appropriate authorities to step up checks of movement of commercial vehicles and trucks and unauthorized persons within and around the State Secretariat Complex.