1st December, 2020
By Suleiman Shehu
The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) has warned Nigerians against destroying the projects sited in their communities.
Mr Jibril Saidu of the Special Project Unit (SPU), FMWH, gave the warning on Tuesday while on a sensitisation tour of the projects executed by the Federal Government under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2018/2019 in Oyo State.
Some of the projects inspected included a skill acquisition centre, a motorised solar-powered borehole and six blocks of classrooms at Ladigbolu Grammar School in Oyo town.
It was fully equipped with sewing machines, hairdressing machines, barbing materials, computers and welding machines, among others.
Others were the 300 KVA transformer at Araromi, solar-powered light at Fiditi, road construction and installation of a 25-point solar-powered light at Apete Market and Garage in Ibadan.
Saidu said that the projects belonged to the people of the communities where they were sited, adding that it might not be easy for the Federal Government to back to them if they were allowed to be stolen or vandalised.
According to him, it is the duty of the various communities to protect and maintain the projects built from the taxpayers’ money.
“We are here to see the impact of what the Federal Government has done. We must also let you know that these projects were constructed for your use. So they are your property and you must protect them from being stolen or vandalised.
He also said that the projects were for the betterment of the masses, adding that they were not politically- motivated and as such, no political group or leader should claim ownership.
In his remarks, the Principal of Ladigbolu Grammar School, Mr Akindele Samuel, commended the Federal Government for the gesture, saying that the projects had been of immense benefit to the students and the people of Oyo town since their completion in 2019.
He, however, said that only the skill acquisition centre had not been put into use due to lack of a generator and the instructors to help students handle the machines there.
“We have since been enjoying the projects, especially the borehole, which is serving the school from time to time.
“Before now, we used to experience serious water scarcity but now, the Federal Government has solved that problem for us. So we are very grateful to the government.
“We just want to solicit for the deployment of instructors who will be teaching our students on how to handle the various machines installed at the skill acquisition centre,” Samuel said.
Also speaking, one of the drivers at Apete Garage, Mr Bright Adjei-Boachie, commended the Federal Government for the installation of the solar-powered light in the garage and market.
Mr Bright seized the opportunity to solicit for the dualisation of the main road that passed through the area.
Also speaking, Mrs Juliet Francis, a resident of Fiditi, commended the Federal Government for the installation of the solar-powered light in the community.
NAN