FORMER Attorney General of the Federation Michael KaaseAondoakaa (SAN) has challenged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to brace up with their responsibilities by ensuring that those who vandalise public property are prosecuted.
Aondoakaa who was the guest speaker at the stakeholders forum on ‘Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Activities of Anti-vandalism in Benue’ held yesterday in Makurdi the Benue State capital decried the situation where people vandalise government property and are left to go scot-free.
According to him, the Nigeria Civil Defence has the right to prosecute vandals of public property either in the name of the Attorney General of the Federation or that of the state, if the vandalised property is done by the federal government or state government respectively.
Speaking, Benue state Commandant of the NSCDC, Stephen ZwallyLar noted that the safety of critical infrastructure is the deliberate and collective responsibility of everyone as the criminals live among the people saying that there is need to protect the critical infrastructure so that people will enjoy dividends of democracy.
“For the command to carry out the function, it requires the contributions of stakeholder in area of logistics in order to enable civil defence monitor infrastructure”, he said.
He suggested that parameter fence and security posts be built around transformers, so that men who protect them can take shelter. He also said locations around pipe lines be clear to ensure easy access to them.
According to him, “it is hoped that the meeting would create an enabling synergy between the command and members of the public to operate in an atmosphere of understanding so that at the end criminals will have no hiding place.
“The objective of the forum is aimed at having a free and peaceful society devoid of all criminal tendencies would be achieved particularly in the area of protection of critical infrastructures”, he noted
He called for establishment of National Strategy for Physical Infrastructural Protection this is necessary because critical infrastructure are also prone to natural disaster such as flood fire outbreak and accident.