Fidel Aisodioune (Petroleum Marketer)
Fidel Aisodioune (Petroleum Marketer)
There is no reason to talk about relocating tank farms, what the government should do is to complete the construction of the road networks, the ‘fly over’ at Liverpool should be completed to assist the ageing ones that have become too narrow, another holding bay is also being constructed around 2nd gate of the Tincan island port, these are good initiatives, government should do more, the problem of this axis is not the tank farms, it is the traffic, if the road network is good, the traffic will be controlled. On the part of the tank farm owners, I will encourage the Federal Government to re-enforce the provision that every tank farms should have a truck park or a holding bay, this will ensure that it is only trucks that are programmed that are allowed to come to the tank farm.
Onward Onwundiwe (PTD, NUPENG)
It is only in Nigeria that somebody builds a supermarket without a parking space where customers can park before coming in to buy something, the owners of the tank farms are so money-conscious that they failed to reserve a place as parking lot. I believe the best thing to do is for each depot to have a truck park where they will be using call-up system to bring the trucks to the depots. You cannot ask them to be relocated, after they have poured so much money into investments, there are so many government functionaries that have interest in the tank farm business so it will not be so easy to relocate them.
Uchu Block (Sec. Gen. NCMDLCA)
The owners of these tank farms are not living in this area, the tank farms are time bombs waiting to explode, if we love ourselves and have natural fear, nobody in their right senses should site tank farms near residential areas, the roads are already congested, the activities of the port alone are enough to congest the port, not to talk of somebody constructing tank farms. We have areas where they can be relocated and do their business unhindered, government should relocate them to these places.
Friday Essien (Seafarer)
It is wrong to erect tank farms close to where people are living, before establishing any industry, there should be an environmental impact assessment which must be carried out on the area, this is how the industry will affect the people living in the area positively or negatively, but now these things are no longer looked into, even though its looked into, it is not implemented, if this is considered, I see no reason why tank farms should be sited where people are living. The way out is to relocate them across the seashore where we have empty lands, they will still be accessed because government will create a linkage road.
Comrade Sylvester Keshinro (Truck Owner)
We are only postponing the danger the tank farms pose for Apapa and the nation's economy. We are postponing the evil day because our government does not protect lives and property until when those properties are destroyed, that is when they tend to proffer remedy to what has been affected. We know billions of naira have been invested on the tank farms within and around the environs, but we need to relocate these tank farms out of where you have residence , industry or commercial businesses and the ports, which are all jam-packed together ,which to me is insensible. Badagry and Epe is most suitable for them to start afresh
But again, there is also the need for government to construct another access road temporarily, then gradually transfer them bit by bit to Epe and Badagry.
Gerard Govinson (RTEAN )
In the first instance, I don't see any reason for the tank farms to be around this area for security reasons, I don't know why they should be visible in Apapa community. A residential area is not meant for tank farm businesses even aside the hazards involved, it is not proper for them to be here in scores and we will still continue to appeal to the government to relocate them because we all know that huge investment have been sunk into the establishment of the tank farms here, but I don't know how possible that one is going to be; but the fact remains that we don't need them here.
George Ezuma (Auto Dealer)
The tank farms in the whole of Apapa has affected virtually all kinds of businesses negatively and that is why it would be wise on the part of the federal government to do something quickly to move the tank farms within Apapa to an isolated environment. From Monday to Sunday there is traffic on the expressway as a result of the depots and my advice to the government is to remove the tank farms operations from Apapa, send them to Badagry because the hazard and disadvantages are more when compared to the advantages.
Alhaji Isiaka Olalere (Chairman (TRTEAN )
Overtime, we have been saying it that what will be the only solution to the many dangers involved with the tank farms is for government to relocate all of them out of Apapa, because they are just too many. If there is no relocation of the these tank farms we should expect more problems, as we speak , we have about 46 tank farms from Ibafon to Ijora all in Apapa and at least each of them have about 70 trucks that lift products on a daily basis. Therefore the only solution is for government to relocate them. The maritime coast is vast; they can move them to Badagry, Epe and Lekki. I think it goes beyond what Lagos state government can do, because it is more of a national issue, that is why we will continue to advice that the federal government should do something fast.
Discussion about this post