Mamama: The initial estimates of the losses incurred as the result of arson attacks on public infrastructure including the municipality building of the Northern Governorate located in Jidhafs which was set on fire by using highly flammable materials are around BD 6million.
The Minister of the Ministry of Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning told the joint Press conference that on Thursday the 15th of October 2014, a terrorist group stormed into the municipality building of the Northern Governorate located in Jidhafs and set fire to it using highly flammable materials.
The Minister was joined by the Minister of State for Information Affairs Sameera Rajab and said the building was devastated by the fire, which also destroyed all the papers, official documents, furniture, computers, and equipment housed within the building. The damage to the building’s infrastructure was estimated at around half a million Bahrain dinars.
This terrorist act brought daily services offered by the municipality to a complete halt. This building used to provide services to Bahraini and foreign nationals in 62 Residential Blocks where more than 60,000 people lived, sparking resentment amongst citizens conducting their business needs there. Many of the original official documents were burnt, and citizens’ personal information stored on computers was also lost. Around 300 services were pending on the day of the incident.
Jidhafs municipality handles more than 13,000 services and requests, including construction and restoration permits, electrical service requests, commercial registrations, and many other basic services. The building is visited by more than 100 clients daily.
It was indeed very fortunate that the building was empty when the terrorist act was carried out, otherwise many employees would have perished in the fire.
Immediately, the municipality relocated employees to other centres until a new building has been found. These additional costs will be borne by the municipality until the old building has been completely rehabilitated and repaired.
This terrorist act is part of a campaign which has targeted municipal services and facilities. Hundreds of trash containers, garbage trucks and municipal projects had previously been vandalized. Cleaners and garbage collectors were also regularly attacked in the line of duty.
The premeditated nature of these acts, the Minister said, and the intent to cause as much damage as possible were evident from the volume of losses which are currently estimated to be around BD6 million.
The municipality condemns in the strongest terms these terrorist acts and whoever perpetrated them. It further stresses that these cowardly acts are a desperate attempt to destabilize the country and disrupt the democratic process by carrying out these acts ahead of the parliamentary and municipal elections to scare voters away, especially those municipality employees who were planning to nominate themselves. The municipality added that that these acts aim at disrupting the process of reforms and development spearheaded by the ministry with the full support of the country’s wise leadership.
“The Ministry of Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning wishes to reiterate that it has every intention of not allowing these acts to thwart the process of reforms and progress and will continue to offer services to both citizens and foreign nationals. The Ministry invites customers to conduct their business needs in other municipal buildings in Budaiya and Hamad Town until the repair work and the comprehensive rehabilitation of the building have been completed.”