The Lagos State Government has sealed an illegally operating container terminal in Ibeshe in the Ikorodu axis of the State.
According to a statement signed by the spokesperson, Mukaila Sanusi, the operation was carried out on Friday and led by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Idris Salako.
He said the Lagos State Government had to move swiftly to prevent further nuisance in the built environment of Ibeshe by sealing the unapproved terminal, located beside the Government jetty in the area.
He cautioned that Government would not tolerate in other parts of the State a replay of Ijegun-Egba and Satellite town, notorious for the unpleasant experience with tank firms and terminals while decrying the destructive impact of the activities of the container terminal on the environment and the newly constructed Ebute- Ibeshe road.
“It is highly unacceptable that by indiscriminately parking containerised vehicles on the road and stacking containers in an unbridled manner,
“An unapproved business activity would have so much impact on the environment so as to rapidly despoil the road constructed with taxpayers’ money and constitute a danger to children in the neighbourhood,” the Commissioner said during the sealing.
He explained that the government had a well-established procedure for licensing terminals and mining activities on the shoreline, in such a way that all factors that make for a liveable and sustainable built environment would have been taken cognizance of.
He urged anyone interested in the establishment of container terminals and sand mining to seek the approval of the appropriate authorities including the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources among others.
The Commissioner enjoined community leaders and members to maintain the surveillance of their communities and report any untoward Physical development.