By Aaron Ukodie
Satellite Town and Ijegun-Egba residents are livid over Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s statement, this morning, that the tank farms in their area would not be relocated.
Many of them who listened to the governor’s statement with shock have been reacting on several social media platforms that serve the community.
The governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this morning that the tank farms, which are causing mayhem and pose danger to the lives of residents of Satellite Town and Ijegun have come to stay.
He spoke on Channel’s Television Sun Rise Daily Programme, while responding to Mrs Maupe Ogun-Yusuf who asked the governor of his views on the tank farms which residents continue to complain pose grave dangers to their lives.
Sanwo-Olu said “let us be true to ourselves. I cannot say to you that those tank farms would be relocated”.
The governor premised his views on the fact that the tank farm owners have invested heavily in that area and relocating them is not possible. He also said that the tank farms located in the Ijegun-Satellite area is now the major source of fuel distribution to parts of the country, about 35 per cent of total fuel supply.
According to the governor, the only thing that government and the tank farms would do, and have started doing is to provide palliatives such as expanding the road network in that area.
He also claimed that the government and the tank farm owners have started providing palliatives to ease the pains of the residents.
The president of the Satellite Town Forum (STF) the residents’ umbrella body, Governor Initimi who expressed disappointment at the governor’s statement said it was the height of impunity and insensitivity for Sanwo-Olu to prefer investments to human lives.
While debunking claims that palliatives were ongoing in the area Initimi asked: “why would the governor prefer investments to the lives of the people, most of whom voted for him to come and protect and make life better for them”.
Initimi said the world is aware of the dangers of tank farms when they are located within communities that are purely residential by design, as is the case of Satellite Town which has been engaging both Lagos state government and federal government agencies on the tank farm menace .
Another resident, who spoke after listening to the governor with shock said: “we can all see where this unrepentant penchant for money and corruption has taken us in this country. From the governor’s statement, it’s crystal clear that Lagos State government gets their own share from the tank farms operations in our community”.
“Does the governor mean to say the protection of lives and property in Satellite/Ijegun axis mean less to him than the economic benefits of investment in tank farms”, another resident, Engr O Ofem asked.
According to Ariyo, another resident: “It is quite unfortunate that the number one citizen of this cosmopolitan state could utter this unpalatable statement”.
Angel Tunde Said from the governor’s statement it now shows that we were being deceived all along by their reaction to all of our protests and letters to them.
