…As DPR Orders Temporary Suspension Of Tankers’ Activities
By Aaron Ukodie
Unrelenting residents of Satellite Town and Ijegun-Egba, under the umbrella body of Satellite Town Forum ( STF) again took their protest to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) demanding the relocation of over 12 tank farms and four container terminals located or being located in those residential areas.
The residents are urging the federal and the Lagos State governments to act now so as avert a looming danger and possibility of a tanker fire incident that could lead to mass deaths.
This is not the first time the STF has protested and has had several meetings with government agencies involved in the approval for the location of the tanks farms and container terminals and the business operators, but it appeared the more the residents point to the stakeholders involved the danger of their activities in such a purely residential area the more they are entrenched.
Satellite Town and Ijegun-Egba roads have been battered by the over 700 heavy tankers and trucks, such that many of them are now impassable. Beside, house are being submerged due to the activities of the tankers and several businesses and schools are affected. Lives have been lost as a result, while the traffic gridlock on the few roads that are passable is unimaginable. Some access roads are on permanent lock down by these tankers and trucks that are indiscriminately packed at the centre of the roads without regard to other road users.
The worst of it all is that the tank farm owners are inducing house and land owners in the area to sell their properties to them and move away from the area.
Today’s protest to the two government agencies was due to a breakdown of agreements reached at a meeting held some months ago in which the DPR with other government agencies and tank farm owners in attendance set up an ad-hoc committee to work towards the implementation of several projects decided at that meeting. The tank farm owners on whose shoulder rested the funding of the agreed projects appeared to be uninterested.
The tank farm owners had announced among others that they had awarded N500 million contract to the Nigerian army engineering department to dualise the Marwa Road, the major road the tankers pass to access the Badagry Express Way.
The residents were also alarmed by the level of destruction reported to have taken place as a result of a tanker fire that occurred in Onitsha, in Anambra state in which several people died. The news of the Onitsha tanker fire outbreak was made scarier following a near fire outbreak in Satellite Town a week after the Onitsha incident when two tankers fell on a portion of the Old Ojo road of Satellite Town.
It took the prompt response of fire fighters and other relevant bodies to avert any possible danger.
The STF members who first called at the NPA office in Marina, Lagos were not allowed by the police that mounted surveillance and security at the Port House to see any of its officials. The police team led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police ( DCP) in charge of operation at the Apapa Port command, Mr Adeleke told SF that they had not followed the procedure required before they could see any Port official to lay their complaints. He however took the letter containing the demand of the Satellite residents and promised to forward it to the appropriate authorities. He also arranged to meet SF representatives on Wednesday to discuss the issues.
The DPR was more receptive. A deputy Manager, MR Tunji Atiba led a team from their office to receive the SF members at the gate and there after asked representatives of SF to go up with him for a meeting. After over one hour of talks they came out, this time with an assistant director, Engr Dr, Akenn S Musa to brief the press and other members of the SF who waited outside.
In the letters sent to the two organisations, the SF is asking the NPA to stop the container terminals being constructed inside a residential estate, Liverpool estate, by Jakys Nigeria Limited, and that Clarion Shipping West Africa Company currently located at the busy Alakija bus stop be relocated.
The residents are also asking that a container terminal being constructed at Abule Osun, and another at Ijegun Imoren by Plain Nigeria Limited be stopped.
STF letter to DPRI told the government agency that the continued existence of the tank farms in that area has caused increased stress to residents, unbearable traffic gridlock, destruction to already bad roads, environmental pollution and epidemics, submerging of homes due to blocked flood channels and the close down of businesses and increased unemployment.
They are asking that the DPR among others stop the expansion and halt work being carried out by Chipet, Rain Oil, Rano and Promenade Gas Farm, which has constructed and was still constructing tank farms that would generate more tank farm activities.
The residents are also asking that the DPRI halts all expansionary activities of petroleum marketing companies in order to check over 750 tankers that have made life extremely unbearable to residents, and that approvals should not be given to new companies to establish tank farms in the community.
STF chairman, Mr Governor Imitini who spoke on behalf of the forum said the activities of these tank farms and container terminals was in breach of the rules on development in respect of physical planning, while asking the government agencies to engage the issues raised in such a way that the outcome would not be injurious to human life “as we look towards your respect for government own rules on development of areas for residential and commercial purposes.”
Musa who responded to the demand on DPR said the agency was concerned about human life and safety promising that it would midwife appropriate response to assuage the fears and the danger locking in the Satellite area.
According to him, the agency has asked the tank farmers to halt their activities indefinitely pending when it would be appropriate for them to resume work. Following the indefinite suspension no tanker is allowed to go into the depots to load petroleum products, Musa said.
Musa said DPR was finalizing talks with the Lagos state government and the tank farm owners on the type and extent of road work that was necessary to solve the traffic and easy movement of the tanks and residents.
“We are discussing with the Lags state on this particular matter and we are very determined that this matter is put to rest”, he said.
Musa also added that the issue of drainage and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be reassessed and whatever wrongs would be put right. He also said further expansion of the depots would be looked at and ongoing approvals by DPR reviewed.
He also said those who are being pressured to sell their houses to the farm owners should not cooperate because it is not in their best interest.
The days ahead would say if the promises of the DPR would be implemented.
