People Who Destroy Public Assets Are Unwise — Aregbesola

The former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has said it is self-defeating for anyone to embark on the destruction of public assets during protests.

Aregbesola called on Nigerians to always safeguard and protect public assets, as they’re vital to the smooth administration of society.

The former Osun State governor spoke at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘Essentials of Public Asset Management’ written by Niyi Olanipekun, in Osogbo, on Tuesday.

Quoting Aregbesola, “Public assets can be traced to the mythical social contract and the origin of government when individuals gave up the power of governing themselves and surrendered it to the sovereign who will govern on their behalf. The common public utilities like roads and water bodies became facilities used by members of the public, superintended and managed by the government on behalf of all members of the state.

“In many cases, these assets are a monument and a testament of the people’s creativity and sense of value. In some countries, private assets are acquired by the government and then designated as state monuments. In the past, the most beautiful and the grandest buildings in any community used to be the king’s palace. This is why an invading and conquering power would first desecrate and then destroy the king’s palace to assert their conquest.

“It must be noted that though these assets are named after the government, they are indeed owned by the people whom the government is established to serve. It is therefore self-defeating for the people to steal, vandalise or destroy public asset during riots and in a fit of public rage. It is the greatest act of self-harm. It is the most unwise thing to do.

“These assets will be replaced anyway at public expense and the scarce resources that should have been devoted to other things will now be deployed for their replacement or restoration. Some may not even be easy to be replaced immediately and the public would now be denied their use after the rage had subsided. It is therefore the responsibility of every citizen to protect public assets from theft, vandalism and destruction.”

The ex-minister of interior further urged public officials to uphold the sanctity of public assets as they’re key to building a virile nation.

He added, “I must commend the author who was part of our administration and served in the management of public assets. His experience, no doubt, must have inspired this book. It is a collection for history and for the understanding of the craft of asset management.“