Tank farm owners-Residents face-off: Journalists barred from public hearing

Henry Uche

In what seems to be a compromise in the outcome of investigations into the problem between Ijegu Egba/Satellite Town Tank farms owners located at Ijegu -Egba, Kirikiri, and the residents of Satellite Town, the Chairman of Tank Farms Owners Association, Debo Olujimi, deprived reporters entry into the venue of the stakeholders public hearing by the House of Representatives.

At the meeting, only Channels TV reporters were allowed access, while journalists from Daily Sun, ThisDay, Vanguard and others newspapers were asked to steer clear of the venue.

While the Honourable member, Hon Oghene Egoh, representing Amowu-Odofin federal constituency,, was ushering reporters in the hall, Mr Olujimi interrupted the move and asked security personnel to steer the journalists away.

Residents of Satellite Town have written several reports against oil firms operating in the area on the safety of their lives, petitioning the Federal Government to issue an order to tank farm owners to relocate from the area, such incessant complaints led to the tour and inspection of facilities in the area, led by the Chairman, House committee on Relocation of Tanks Farms in Kirikiri vicinity, Honorable, Sergius Oguns.

The two-day tour, which involves personnel from Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, EKO power Distribution Company, Federal Fire Service, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigerian Ports Authority NPA and others, was designed to accertain the veracity of the residents’ claims for further actions.

As at the time of filing this report, print journalists outside the venue do not know what the outcome of the investigation would be as they smell foul play.