By Dipo Olowookere
A filling station operating under the name Total Nigeria has been sealed up by the Lagos State government.
The fuel station located in the Akoka area of the metropolis was shut down over issues relating to water pollution.
According to the Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi–Etti, an underground tank of the filling station was reported to have developed a fault.
Addressing newsmen last Friday, Mr Durosinmi–Etti noted that the attention of government was drawn to the issue when the filling station reported the leakage of its underground tank thereby causing concerns of water pollution in the community.
According to him, government immediately intervened by directing the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to carry out an Environmental Forensic Audit in order to determine the exact source and extent of the pollution.
This, he said, was in addition to imploring the owners to effect necessary repairs to stop the leakage and resultant pollution of the environment.
Mr Durosinmi–Etti also called for the decommissioning of boreholes installed by the station, while urging the management of Total Nigeria to liaise with the Lagos Water Corporation for the supply of pipe-borne water pending further findings on the incident.
While maintaining that the present administration would not hesitate to take any meaningful measure to protect the health and wellbeing of the citizenry, the Commissioner informed that LASEPA had been mandated to monitor and ensure the implementation of the directives given to the owners of the fuel station.
