FERMA raises alarm over Lagos highways guard rails, manholes theft

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on Monday, raised the alarm over continuous theft of guard rails and manhole covers on highways in Lagos State.

Mr Olisa Emeter, the FERMA Maintenance Engineer in charge of Lagos II West, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Emeter said the trend of guard rails and manhole covers theft on highways had continued unabated because the vandals had ready markets for the stolen infrastructure.

He called for collaboration of the Lagos State government and the Police for continuous surveillance of scrap markets to confiscate the stolen public infrastructure and make necessary arrests to stop the supply chain.

He complained that the guard rails at Toyota Bus Stop area had all been removed again.

Emeter said that manhole covers were not also spared, hence the need for urgent enforcement to safeguard lives of road users.

He said that vehicles risked accidents and pedestrians lives were endangered when they fall into open drains as a result of removal of manhole covers.

He added that pedestrians could also accidentally fall off where guard rails had been removed.

“We just replaced missing guard rails at Iyana Ipaja Bridge in February and did that of Dopemu in April.

“We stone pitched the embankment at Dopemu. Stone pitch is a design to beautify and protect the embankment against erosion.

“Whenever we replace guard rails they (vandals) still go and cut it, that is a major problem we are having,’’ he said.

Emeter said the solution is enforcement, urging the Police to increase surveillance at scrap markets to seize guard rails and manhole covers.

“If they arrest those people buying and selling those things, the menace would reduce,’’ he said.

He said “FERMA does not have mandate of enforcement’’ and appealed to the Lagos State government to adopt urgent measures to collaborate with the Police.

The Lagos II West Zone of FERMA in Lagos States covers the Mainland from Iganmu towards Badagry, Airport Road, New and Old Abeokuta Road, Mushin, Agege Motor Road, Apapa/Oworonshoki area, among others.