Abuja: Perm-Sec condemns theft of Gully Inlet, Manhole Covers

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Mr Olusade Adesola, Permanent Secretary of, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has condemned the repeated vandalism and theft of expensive gully inlets, manhole covers, and other flood containment infrastructure on Abuja city roads.

The Permanent Secretary, speaking after a flood assessment tour of parts of the city over the weekend, lamented that expensive gully inlet and manhole covers recently replaced by the FCTA had been vandalized and stolen, resulting in sub-optimal drainage system performance and flooding on some city roads.

The situation in the FCT is extremely worrying, and Mr Olusade expressed shock that even the gully inlets and manhole covers made of ductile materials, which were of little or no second-hand value, had been targeted by the vandals.

Because of the government’s diminishing resources and other competing interests, the Permanent Secretary claimed that the ongoing theft and vandalism of this expensive public infrastructure and its accessories have become intolerable in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

To prevent the unpleasant situation, he, therefore appealed for the cooperation of the residents of the FCT by reporting any unusual or suspicious observations to the appropriate security agencies.