The Federal Government has disclosed plans to tackle vandalism of transport infrastructure across the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, said Nigerians would enjoy a seamless, safe and efficient intermodal transportation system if the activities of vandals are curbed.
Adebiyi stated this at the 19th National Council on Transportation (NCT), themed, ‘Developing an Effective Transportation System for Nigeria: The Role of Intermodal Transportation’.
He said the council would recommend stiffer penalties for vandalisation of transportation infrastructure, stressing that the criminal act had led to loss of lives, destruction of public assets and life-altering injuries to many Nigerians.
Adebiyi in a statement by the Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Gift Seddon, also stated the importance of transparent public-private partnerships, robust transportation funding mechanisms and innovative asset-recycling models, noting that the measures would accelerate the development, rehabilitation and effective management of transport infrastructure across the country.
The chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transportation, Sen. Adamu Aliero, said federal infrastructure projects must be handled by their designated sector ministries to ensure proper oversight, accountability and protection of the public interest.
He commended the leadership of the Ministry for taking proactive steps to address administrative anomaly involving the award of a railway construction contract to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) without the requisite technical input from the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
He explained that while MOFI has an important role as a financing and investment vehicle, the technical aspects of railway infrastructure development fall within the statutory mandate of the ministry of transportation.
Aliero also commended President Bola Tinubu, for his intervention through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to address the matter and restore the appropriate institutional responsibility for the project.