Govt Bulldozers Set To Descend On Tank Farms

Bulldozers from both  the Lagos state government and a local government within the Apapa axis are set to second on the parts of the sprawling multi billion Naira tank farms located in Lagos.
Affected by the impending demolition exercise which the sate government has vowed to commence any moment from now are the facilities that are located around the Kirikiri axis of Apapa.
State and local government officials were sighted at the area last week marking portions of some tank farms and the common user truck terminal for the impending demolition.
The offending tank farms were said to have collectively built a trailer park and also constructed an access road on land which had earlier been earmarked by the government for drainage collection in the area in order to channel water into the lagoon and control flood in the community.
Government officials disclosed last week that the drainage system has  been in existence prior to the settling up of the tank farms. They alleged that the tank farm owners closed the drainages and erected structures on it.
Shipping Position Weekly learnt that at least six tank farms are to be affected by the demolition exercise. They include: Bovas petroleum, Fatgbems oil, Nakem oil and gas, Swift oil and Ascon oil and are newly- constructed depots that are yet to commence operations. The other depot which is yet to commence construction, but which is also affected is Nakem oil and gas.
Throwing some light on the demolition, an official of the state government who identified himself as Engineer Lekan Shodeinde told pour correspondent that the demolition of these facilities is a mandate from the Lagos state government and which is going to take immediately effect.
Brandishing a copy of the government approved layout of the area, he told Shipping Position Weekly that “this layout is sacrosanct and any thing order than this has to be pulled down.”
The layout which was shown to our correspondent indicates that about50 per cent of the space that was used for the construction of truck terminal and access roads belong to the government.
Sodeinde however disclosed that the state government has already given an ultimatum of four weeks within which owners of the affected properties who have genuine claims to the land should come forward.
Confirming that the bulldozer could land in the area anytime after the expiration of the ultimatum, Sodeinde declared that” owners of these lands are given four weeks to come up with all legal documents indicating their layout plan because the government will not contact them further before taking any steps.