Residents of Mosheshe Avenue in Kirikiri Town have been hit by a fresh wave of anxiety as the Federal Government has granted approval for an oil company to construct a cooking gas storage facility, also known as LPG storage tanks.
Shipping Position Daily investigations at the location last week revealed that already, the 30 million litres capacity storage tanks is nearing completion. The storage plant has two mighty tanks which workers told our correspondent under anonymity can container 5,000 MT each.
The facility located directly beside Fatgbems Tank farm brings the total number of petroleum tank farms around the densely populated area to nine.
Petroleum tank farms already operating in the area includes: Techno Oil, Chisco, Index, Fatgbems, NAkem, Swift Oil and Bovag and two others.
Meanwhile, residents of the area while speaking to Shipping Position Daily correspondent protested the invasion of their residential areas by tank farms and petroleum tank farms. One of the residents of Mosheshe Estate, Mr. Godwin Atose condemned the influx of tank farms into the area, saying that the government agency granting approval to the tank farms; the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) needs to be probed
He said that even though the construction of the LPG tanks are still ongoing, residents have found out that it would attract about 800 additional trucks per day into the already congested area .
Mr Atose expressed disappointment at the youths of the community for keeping mum and watching while the area is under siege by tank farms.
He said “This area is jam-packed already, by design, we are not supposed to have more than three depots here, but now they are up to eight. The access road is what would be the issue now; there should be another access road through phase two where these tankers should be passing through to link the bridge at NIMASA” he lamented .
Also speaking with our correspondent, one of the operators in the area who identified himself as Comrade Olu Ogunbodede said it was hellish taking product out of Mosheshe Avenue due to the clustering of the tank farms.
According to him, the traffic congestion is even worse when all the eight tank farms are having product to dispense at the same time.
According to him, “We as operators cannot stop them, if the indigenes of Kirikiri have said they would allow it (The LPG Tank Farm) and let it be, then we would just be waiting and watching”
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