By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

Lagos State Government has raised an alarm following the discovery that many tank farms are operating in Apapa without requisite permit, saying they pose security threats to life and property in the state.

Consequently, the Government has begun investigations into the operations of tank farms in the state, with a view to checkmating the illegal act as well as ensure the security of life and property.

The State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, disclosed this last week at a media briefing on the activities of his ministry in the last one year as well as the commemoration of six years in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola. He expressed worry over the development, saying that government would soon commence a clamp down on owners of illegal tank farms in the state.

According to him: “Our research revealed that a lot of tank farms operating the state either do not have permit or are located on an unapproved sites.

“But we are at the stage of collating the data because we are working with the relevant authorities. There is a federal regulatory body that issues the permit while the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, also gives permit for the location of the tank farm.

“We found out that some of them do not have the requisite permit for operation, until we finish our reports, anyone found operating illegally or found in an unapproved environment, the law will definitely take its course, I assure you. The ministry is engaging relevant stakeholders on the issue.”

Tijani said the development was of serious concern to Fashola, which led to the setting up of a committee to look into the issue with the aim of proffering solutions.

He said government had taken all necessary measures to avert the repeat of the gas explosion which rocked MRS Tank Farm in Apapa, Lagos early in the year, noting that the committee was already looking into the incident for possible relocation of the farms that constitute a threat to life.

He said the ministry would scrutinize valid documents from the operators, such as the approval to construct, ATC, from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; authorization from the Nigeria Police; Federal/State Fire Service permit; Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR licenses; Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA Report; and perimeter survey.

Tijani, also added that plans had been concluded to  establish a Geodynamics Centre, to monitor and detect possible occurrence of natural disasters like earth tremors, earthquakes, ocean surges and flooding among others with early warning mechanism.