Lagos state governor, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu today blamed the location of tank farms around Ijegun-Satellite Town on the residents whom he said gave the tank farm owners land to build their facilities.
The governor responded to a question from eworldnews, at the site of the Abule Ado explosion, on the location of the over 12 tank farms and container terminals around Satellite Town and Ijegun.
In his response the governor put the blame on the residents and appeared to be suggesting that there was nothing that could be done to agitations for the relocation of the tank farms.
Residents have been agitating for the relocation of the tank farms so as to avert any occurrence similar to or worse than the explosion that happened in Abule Ado yesterday, in which several persons died, homes and properties destroyed.
The residents are apprehensive, and have continued to tell both state and federal government that if there is a tanker explosion in Ijegun the effect would be unimaginable, as it could affect a military formation around the area. The Abule Ado explosion affected homes in Satellite Town and Festac, over three kilometres away.
This is the dialogue between the governor and eworldnews publisher, Aaron Ukodie.
eWorldnews: Governor, for over 13 years now residents of satellite town have been agitating for the relocation of the over 12 tank farms around satellite and Ijegun. When are you going to relocate them, to avert the kind of disaster that happened in Abule Ado, because what happened in Abule Ado affected homes, three kilometres away from the scene of incident.
Governor: I will answer the question very toughly. How did the tank farms get there? You people gave them the land and they got approval.
eWorldnews: Omoniles ( indigent land sellers) gave them the land.
Governor: Let’s say the truth. These are national resources that have been put there. You do not build tank farms in one year. They got approval. If we are going to work together we shall work together. This is not a case of bulk passing.
Members of the Satellite Town Forum who reacted to the governor’s statement said an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out by government officials ignored the dangers of locating the tank farms to the environment in approving their location.
They argued that if thorough, objective and professional assessment were carried out in 2013, government agencies, including those of Lagos State shouldn’t have given the approvals.
One resident, Edem Vindah asked: “should people die because some people made mistakes in selling land to unscrupulous investors, people who now use them for tank farms”.
Another said when ‘Omoniles’ sell land to anybody, they do not ask what you will use it for. It is only when you go for approval that government will either approve or say no”.
Former Secretary of Satellite Town Residents Association, who has been engaging the Lagos state government since 2013 on the satellite-Ijegun tank farms Engr. Tom Isuekpe said: “assuming the residents gave the tank farm operators the land, is government not duty bound to conduct EIA? The fact is that this government seems to be only interested in revenue generation, even at the expense of citizens’ welfare and lives”.
