Mr Olufunsho Elulade, The General Manager, Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), on Tuesday, has appealed to youths to protect public infrastructure in their locality against any act of vandalism.
During an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Elulade said that public infrastructure were provided with taxpayers’ money, “so destroying them amount to hurting ourselves”.
He also spoke against the backdrop of the damage done to LSMTL offices in Ojodu during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
He said: that the damage was minimal because some members of the public stopped hoodlums who hijacked the protest from wrecking further havoc on the facility and its operational vehicles.
He also said that the operational vehicles of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation which was in the same compound with LSMTL was destroyed .
Elulade also lamented about the destruction of the buses and other vital infrastructure.
He said the buses, buildings, and other assets that we’re destroyed had direct benefits to youths and all other residents of Lagos, as it brings them comfort.
He said: “The youths should know that these BRT buses were bought to ease their movement from point ‘A’ to ‘B’, why would they destroy facilities that bring them comfort?”
Elulade also urged Lagos residents to make infrastructure protection a collective responsibility.
He said that Lagos population kept growing daily, thus increasing pressure on government to keep improving and upgrading existing infrastructure.
According to him, destruction of assets amounts to slowing down progress for all residents.
He urged the EndSARS campaigners to tread with caution as their demand had been met by Federal Government’s disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in 2020.