Group Moves against Container Terminal Project, Petitions Buhari
A group, Satellite Town Forum, has called for cancellation of the container terminal project at Zone two Liverpool Estate, Apapa, insisting that the area was high density residential area and already congested.
The Chairman, Satellite Town Forum, Mr. Governor Imitini, who made the call at a media briefing in Lagos, said the organisation had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as well as the relevant federal and state ministries and parastatals to step into the matter.
He said tank farms and container terminals/bonded warehouses were not businesses that should be sited in high density residential areas such as Satellite.
“By nature of their businesses, tank farms and container terminal/ bonded warehouses should not be located in a highly density residential area. Not only those businesses are risky and dangerous, but their activities have made life unbearable for residents. Satellite Town and its people should be saved before it is too late.”
He also noted that several residential buildings in the area have been submerged by flood especially during the rainy season, adding that many landlords and tenants had abandoned their houses.
Imitini called on the federal and state governments to construct large underground culverts across the depot road for onward routing to the sea.
He said that the flooding streaming through the estates needed to be effectively channeled across the road to the sea, “where unfortunately the tank farms are obstructive as they have taken over the flood channels.”
According to Imitini: “There is need for the removal of tank farm facilities sited on direct flood channels. They should be removed for flood from this densely populated area to find its way to the sea. Deep and large standard in-between channels should be constructed to enable the flood flow down to the sea.
“Government should convert Mumuni Adio Badmus Road (Marwa Road). The road is too narrow and was not originally meant to carry and contain axle vehicles. It is therefore always in a state of disrepair and easily blocked by the tankers thereby causing gridlock due to the pressure from the tankers.