By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Residentsof Aerodrome Estate, in Samonda area of Ibadan on Friday again, raised alarm of the looming danger in their area over the siting of a gas plant within their residential estate.
The residents while raising the alarm during a press briefing in Ibadan, asked Governor Seyi Makinde to wade in and rescue them from the danger
Vice Chairman of the Aerodrome Estate Home Owners and Residents, Professor. Mojisola Atalabi, said despite a letter from Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) suspending work from the site of the gas plant, work has just resumed there
Professor Atalabi maintained that the rate at which the construction was going ” is suspicious”, and that there is the need for the governor to intervene into the matter before it will get out of hand.
The Vice Chairman, Aerodrome Estate home owners and residentsstressed that as law abiding citizens of Nigeria, they have right to their life’s and ensure their safety.
“We have our hears on the ground, owner of the plant is boasting that we can not do anything because they have money, connections and political backup. We wrote to the government, we protested, we went to DPR, we went to Ministry of lands, Ministry of environment, and even Ministry of energy, we were told that something will be done, but the next thing we see is the resumption of work at the site, and they are working both days and night”, she said
A resident in the estate, Arch. Akinkole Babalola while speaking declared that government shouldn’t have giving approval for the gas plant, as it will constitute major risk and hazard associated with the gas plant is enormous and devastating.
Architect Babalola stated that one of the guidelines of ” DPR in siting a gas plant is that the location must passed a suitability test which Gasland has failed, saying,” we wrote letters and backed it up with documents to convinced the government to know the illegality of the gas plant, and government has promised to do something about it, but till now nothing has been done on it.”
“We have sent a letter to Ministry of Physical Planning and also the DPR to know what has transpired and the outcome of their findings, and also to know the condition upon resumption of work in the site.”ENDS
He however appealed to the state government to considered safety of lifes of the residents above other things, saying that the gas plant is very dangerous to the residents
