By Chukwudi Nweje
House of Representatives member representing Amuwo/Odofin Federal Constituency, Lagos State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oghene EmmaEgo, Tuesday vowed to work towards the relocation of all the petroleum tank farms in and around Satellite Town.
He said there is nothing on ground to show that the several millions of naira said to had been
spent on roads in the area was spent, and called on Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state to urgently expand, dualise and use concrete to pave the road.
Emma-Ego, spoke when residents of Satellite Town staged a peaceful protest outside the premises of Emadeb Energy, where members of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream made a working visit to physically inspect the state of rosds and living conditions in the area.
He said, “They said that they have spent billions of naira repairing this road, but I have told them that there is nothing to show that billions of naira has been spent here, the roads are bad. I have told the governor of Lagos State that this Marwa Road should be expanded dualized and made of concrete. Th same would be done on Old Ojo Road. The National Assemby position on that is on the table of the Minister of Works, I have seen the Permanent Secretary and we are working on that. We have gone to Kiri-kiri and decided to stop over here because the owner of this Tank farm is the chairman of all the Tank farms, we have told them that they must contribute to the maintaining of this road, but the important thing is that we want them to leave this place, they have made life uncomfortable for residents. I’ve told them that there must be community relations and that there must be a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the community and all the Tank farms. We saw what happened during the explosion at Ayobo and we can’t take chances of that happening here. It may take sometime but I assure you it will happen. We will work with your leaders and I assure you something will happen, it may not be immediate, it is a battle we have started and by the grace of God we will win it.”
The residents, under the banner of Satellite Town Forum said they staged the protest at the premisis of Emadeb Energy, following allegations that the Tankfarms Owners Association planned to induce the members of the House of Representatives Committee.
A resident, Eugene Ayogu, said they live in fear of Loss of their lives and property and have also written several petitions to the House of Representatives to no avail.
“This is purely a residential area and sighting this kind of dangerous business here is not good for the residents of the area. During the public hearings the STF was one of those that made presentations, but now when the adhoc committee visited, they refused to allow us inside. The story we have been hearing is that they Tank farms have been spreading falsehood that this is not a residential area, but the truth is that the residents were here before the Tank farms arrived” he said.