Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council has expressed readiness to partner the state government in protecting public utilities in their domains against vandals.
This came at the heels of complaints from the state government that hoodlums have been vandalising public properties such as executed water projects, transformers, street lights and others domiciled in some communities.
Chairman of the council and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, who disclosed this while receiving the state Commissioner for public Utilities, Engr. Emeka Ezewanne and his team in their meeting in Awka, stated that all monarchs across 179 communities of the state have agreed to assist the government to protect public properties under their domain, arrest hoodlums and their associates when caught vandalising them.
Achebe, who expressed hope that the measure would help to secure government properties for use for longer period of time, urged the state government to always notify traditional rulers whenever there were new installations in their domains for their ‘eagle eyes’ to set at them.
He also assured the state that the monarchs would not relent in educating their subjects on public safety, protection of government utilities in their domains as well as increased security, public awareness, among others.
Earlier, the Commissioner, Emeka Ezenwanne, urged hoodlums, who took joy in vandalising government properties to relocate or risk arrest and prosecution.
He thanked the monarchs for their continious support, urging them to help identify and support experts amongst them to properly take care of government properties sited in their communities.
He further said the state government would never relent in safeguarding the lives and properties of the populace including public utilities like street light, transformer, water projects and others.
