Chinenye Anuforo
Respite may have come to residents of Satellite Town, a community in Oriade Local Community Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has suspended further expansion of depots located in the area and those yet to get approval.
The Assistant Director, Downstream, DPR, Akenn Musa, disclosed to the media and members of the Satellite Town Forum during a peaceful protest by the group on the bad state of the community due to the activities oil merchants in the area.
Musa said “It is the duty of the DPR to make sure that the government is also informed of further developments and for those depot owners who do not have approval to stop forthwith.
“In terms of amelioration, we are going to undertake additional visits to the areas and take note of the discussions we had with the stakeholders to see how other options for the road networks that have been earmarked to be undertaken are going to be done.
“With the free passage of human and animals on the roads, we will ensure that economic activities are back in the areas once again.
He said also to show that the department has not rest its oars on the situation in Satellite Town, when it heard of the truck that fell on old Ojo road last week, DPR immediately suspended further loading of fuel from depots and tank farms in the area.
Musa said the DPR placed high premium on the health of Nigerians, noting that it would not support activities that would affect any Nigerian.
Hear him, “At the Department of Petroleum Resources, we respect the sanctity of lives, which is the overriding public interest, especially as it has to do with the health of the people, who are living in these communities. We shall take the issue of the environment into consideration.
“As we just finished from the meeting with the stakeholders, we have suspended further loading of petroleum products. But for the few trucks that have already been loaded, they will be allowed to leave so that they won’t constitute another hazard.
“As we speak, there is no truck that is going to load from those depots in Ijegun and Satellite Town any longer.”
According to him, the DPR will address the drainage problem and ensure that the Environmental Impact Assessment process for the location of tank farms passes the minimum requirements of the law.