Lagos community cries out over NPA sea dredging

Residents of Satellite Town in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State have disagreed with the Nigerian Ports Authority over the dredging of the sea to accommodate large vessels.

It was learnt that with dredging, large vessels, which had hitherto been discharging refined petroleum products on the high sea into smaller vessels for onward delivery to tank farms, would be able to access the tank farms.

The Chairman, Satellite Town Forum, Mr Michael Imitini, during a meeting on Saturday with the Assistant General Manager, Hydrography, NPA, Mr Olumide Omotoso, expressed fears that the dredging of the sea would not augur well for the community.

According to him, the influx of large vessels into the area, when the project is completed, will attract more tank farms and tankers and that will further degrade the environment.

Imitini added that Satellite Town was a residential community and was not planned for commercial activities.

He noted that the community had asked the NPA for details of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed dredging, adding that no member of the community was served with a questionnaire about the EIA.

He said, “By implication, more tankers will be expected on our narrow roads in the future. With this understanding of their intention, our community, which is purely residential, cannot absorb any more of such commercial activities.

“At our meeting with the NPA, the agency did not suggest any solution to the lingering problems of tank farms, container terminals, tankers and trucks in Satellite Town.

“Instead of thinking of solving the problems by relocating the tank farms, they want to deepen the sea depth so that bigger vessels can come in. If this happens, more activities will be generated; perhaps, the entire Satellite Town/Ijegun communities will be displaced.”

Omotoso, however, said the NPA was concerned with water and not land, adding that the agency would look at all the issues raised.

He informed the community that the NPA would endeavour to co-opt all other relevant land-based agencies and the Lagos State Government into the project.

On December 4, 2018, residents of Satellite Town had petitioned the Federal Government over the indiscriminate building of tank farms and blockage of water channels in the area.

The residents expressed apprehension that the proliferation of tank farms, container terminals and bonded warehouses in their community was a recipe for disaster in the densely populated area.