News
Flood assessment tour: Perm Sec decries rampant theft of gully inlet, manhole covers
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr. Olusade Adesola has decried the repeated vandalism and theft of expensive gully inlets, manhole covers and other flood containment infrastructure on Abuja city roads.
The Permanent Secretary who spoke after a flood assessment tour of parts of the city over the weekend, lamented that expensive gully inlet and manhole covers that were recently replaced by the FCTA have been vandalized and stolen, leading to suboptimal performance of the drainage systems and consequent flooding on some city roads.
Mr. Olusade expressed shock that even the gully inlets and manhole covers made of ductile materials that were of little or no second-hand value, have also been targeted by the vandals, leaving a very worrisome situation in the FCT.
The Permanent Secretary said the incessant vandalism and theft of these expensive public infrastructure and their accessories, have become untenable in the FCT, in the wake of the dwindling resources of government and other competing interests.
He therefore called for the collaborative support of FCT residents by reporting any unusual or suspicious observations to the relevant security agencies for prompt action in order to forestall the ugly situation.
In the words of the Permanent Secretary “Earlier in the week, we undertook a visit to the flood sites of Lokogoma and Trademore, amongst others. The destruction caused by the flood in those areas were really touching. But we knew that equally within the city, there are pockets of flash floods and flooding of some areas due to suboptimal performance of our drainages and we also knew that efforts were made to address these challenges.
“So, today what we did, as part of efforts to rid the city of flooding, was to go round and visit some of the locations where we have had some flooding during this rainy season and to also see the works that we are doing to address them.
“So, overall, our assessment has been that to rid the city of flooding is a collective responsibility. The manhole covers that were placed on this particular road, last year, have been removed. They were not removed by ghosts. They were removed by people and this is Federal Capital City where we have all the law enforcement agencies present.
“We want to beckon to every citizen and our law enforcement agencies to support the efforts of the FCTA in protecting lives and properties through the provision of road infrastructure. A lot of resources are committed to replacing these manholes, but not long after they are replaced, they are removed. On this particular road that we are, ductile materials that were thought to be of little or no second-hand value were installed. But shockingly today, all of them have been removed and nobody has been arrested for removing any.
“So, we want to appeal to every citizen; when you see something, report something. We have the number 112 where we can make emergency reports. When something unusual is happening, report it so that our law enforcement agencies can be invited to deal with the situation. This way, we will all be contributing to making the FCT flood-free.”
Speaking on the cost implication of installing gully inlet covers and replacing stolen infrastructure in the FCT, the Permanent Secretary said, “For instance, this afternoon, before embarking on this trip, we did a cursory review of what this costs.
“In a distance of one kilometer, we can have more than 20, 30 floodwater covers, gully inlet covers and maybe one or two or three manhole covers and each gully inlet costs not less than N500,000. Now, if you multiply this by 20 kilometers, 80 kilometers, 200 kilometers, you know what this translates to. And this is in the face of very competing needs for the meagre resources that we have. This underscores the need for everyone to support the efforts of government to protect this road infrastructure”.
Mr Adesola also cautioned members of the public who dump refuse into flood drains to desist from doing so. He said “To members of the public engaging in that, they need to know that these gully inlets are not dumpsites.
“They are to allow free flow of water through the channels or ducts provided underground. When these ducts are working and there is free flow of water, immediately after a rain, the place would dry up in five minutes because it has taken the whole water away.
“But when they are blocked, just as you saw at certain locations, the water accumulates, the consequences are grievous as we say. For instance, they soak the roads, damage the roads and create problems for us. These gully inlets are not dumpsites for our wastes. We enjoin our citizens not to dump waste there. Use your waste bins.”
The Permanent Secretary was accompanied on the visit by senior officials of the relevant Secretariats, Departments and Agencies of the FCTA.
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with Niger State Government, is pleased to announce the commencement of flight services to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja, effective April 23, 2025.
Overland Airways will operate three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route. These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
Flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: ‘We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the Commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the Government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the State. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the Executive Governor of the Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the State and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated, “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition—from its construction to its operationalization. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernizing infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the New Niger Aviation, Alhaji Liman Katamba Kutigi, says: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need”, says Capt. Boyo.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Industry leaders have identified important measures to secure telecommunications infrastructures in the country and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected.
They argued that as much as the effective implementation of the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is important, the Order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators.
Speaking at the 7th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit on CNII implementation held Thursday in Lagos, the industry leaders highlighted pressing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorized installations, and cable theft, while proposing actionable solutions to safeguard the country’s critical national infrastructure.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers and poles, attributing the problem to poor maintenance practices. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.
Adebayo also pointed out that community resistance to infrastructure projects has significantly hindered progress. He recounted instances where local communities prevented trucks from accessing sites due to previous unaddressed damages caused by contractors.
“A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects,” he explained.
He urged stakeholders to foster better relationships with communities to prevent such conflicts.
Another critical issue Adebayo identified was the unauthorized installation of infrastructure without government approval, leading to inadvertent damage during road construction projects.
“Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure,” he noted.
He called for improved industry coordination to resolve these challenges internally before seeking external solutions that are promised by the CNII provisions.
Echoing these concerns, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised the need for standardisation and better coordination among stakeholders.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.
“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he explained.
Emoekpere argued that standardisation is the key to long-term sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.
He also emphasized that Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, but implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.
The importance of addressing cable theft and vandalism was further stressed by Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited.
He described the alarming frequency of cable cuts, which disrupt network operations and drive up maintenance costs.
“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.
To combat this growing problem, Owoeye proposed three key approaches, including reorientation, enforcement, and proactive measures.
“We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism. Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for preventive strategies rather than reactive responses. “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration,” he noted.
As a proactive measure, Owoeye proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.
To demonstrate his commitment, he pledged to contribute N500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit.
“This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.
They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
Police investigations of alleged Russian KGB infiltration of NASS: Senator Natasha reportedly abandons petition
Hamas claims spokesperson killed in Israeli strike on northern Gaza
Overland Airways commences flights to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna
-
News1 week agoBill to establish National Cashew Production and Research Institute in Kogi passes first reading in Senate
-
News1 week agoReport of attack on Wike’s Port Harcourt residence false, misleading – Police
-
News1 week agoShehu Sani debunks Governor Uba Sani’s alleged diversion of LG funds, challenges El-Rufai to publicly tender evidence
-
News1 week agoPlateau gov’t expresses concern over violence in Shendam LGA, calls for calm
-
Politics7 days agoOpposition leaders announce coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027
-
Interview1 week agoSenators Natasha-Akpabio saga should have been resolved privately – Rev. Mrs Emeribe
-
Opinion1 week agoSule Lamido, PDP, and the politics of defection.
-
Foreign5 days agoHouthis declare Ben-Gurion Airport ‘no longer safe’ after renewed Gaza fighting