Ambode to Kachikwu: Lagos doesn’t need more tank farms
Lagos State Governor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has told the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Ikachukwu, that the development of fuel tank farm is no longer needed in the state.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State yesterday, Ambode described continuous development of tank farms in the state as a disaster to happen.”
“Aside the challenge of traffic, this is the place where all states in the countries are getting revenues through the customs. If anything happen to the port, the revenues will reduce. We don’t want that to happen. But we are not averse to the development of ports in other parts of the country so as to decongest the Lagos port.
“But we must do everything to reduce the menace of fuel tankers and trailers that congest our roads. The vandalism of pipelines which necessitate the use of tankers to transport fuel must be addressed. We are telling the Minister of Petroleum that we do not need more tank farms in Lagos. We have 68 tank farms in Apapa alone. They have even approved the construction of new tanks farms in Ijegun where have large population of our people. That’s a disaster to happen,” he said.
He said his administration would be investing more in the development of the waterways to address perennial traffic. The Kaduna State House of Assembly yesterday approved the first supplementary appropriation bill of N39.65billion comprising N37.171bn capital and N2.48bn recurrent expenditure.
The request for the supplementary appropriation followed the receipt of the Paris Club debt refund and the TETFUND of N30bn and N1.150bn respectively as well as an N8.5bn external loan from the Indian Exim Bank.
The Assembly also confirmed two governor’s nominees: Awwal Muhammed Makarfi as Permanent Secretary, civil service commission and Professor Joseph Gambo Akpoko as Permanent Commissioner, State Independent Electoral Commission.
Speaker Aminu Abdullahi constituted a seven-man adhoc committee to work on all the outstanding bills.