WorldStage– The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo has appealed to the State Government to safeguard underground fibre optic cables during road construction and maintenance activities.
The state Commandant of the corps, Mr Basil Igwebueze, made the appeal during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the command’s headquarters in Owerri, on Wednesday.
Igwebueze, represented by the Deputy Commandant in charge of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, Mr Enyinnaya Achinivu, said that fibre optic cables provide essential communication services and transmit sensitive security information that are vital to the growth and stability of the nation’s economy.
He emphasised that adequate preventive measures must be put in place to mitigate the destruction or tampering of these critical facilities.
He described the destruction of communication facilities, whether willfully or otherwise, as “unlawful and a criminal offence with national security implications”.
The state NSCDC boss reassured stakeholders of the corps’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding and protecting critical national assets and infrastructure.
He, therefore, underscored the need for effective synergy among government ministries, telecommunication providers, construction companies, and the NSCDC to ensure the protection of fibre infrastructure in Imo.
“As stakeholders, we must come together to safeguard our critical national assets and avoid disruptions, resulting from construction and maintenance activities.
“The NSCDC remains committed to protecting these critical assets as part of our core mandate,” he said.
A representative of the Imo Ministry of Works, Mr Elias Nwagwu, highlighted the communication gap existing between the ministry and service providers prior to the laying of cables.
He said that service providers often failed to properly obtain the requisite Right of Way approval.
He said that it was the sole responsibility of the ministry and Infrastructure Development to grant Right of Way approvals to these companies.
Some of the service providers at the meeting expressed concern over “the lack of timely information”, regarding road construction or expansion projects.
They said that the development often resulted in damage to already laid fibre optic cables.
They also requested proper sensitisation and awareness for excavation operators and their supervisors to prevent avoidable destruction.
