Lagos declares war on Tank Farm operators, issues ultimatum

By Kazeem Ugbodaga 

The Lagos State Government has declared war on Tank Farm operators, issuing seven-day ultimatum to them to regularise and obtain their planning permits or face the consequence.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako at a meeting with Tank Farm Operators at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja on Tuesday, lamented that only eight out of the 41 Tank Farms existing in the State had Planning Permits authorising their establishments.

He said most of the Tank Farms in the State had been operating illegally and in variance with Section 27 of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA)and Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) regulations 2019, which stipulated that anyone who built in Lagos State without Planning Permit committed an offence liable to enforcement, imposition of Penal fees or removal of structure.

The commissioner warned that any Tank Farm that failed to start the process of regularisation of its facility after one week would face serious sanctions.

“Considering the importance of the activities of the Tank Farms to the economy of the country, it is partinent that they embrace best practices and operate in the most friendly manner to the host communities” he stated.

Salako said that the operations of the Tank Farms had thrown up many challenges for the State, including pipeline vandalism, environmental degradation, fire outbreak, traffic congestion and destruction of public infrastructure, among others.

He said that viewing the challenges posed with serious concern, the State Government had chosen to engage operators of Tank Farms to find a lasting solution.

To ease the challenges, Salako maintained that it was paramount for the Tank Farms to provide complementary facilities and services such as holding bays, traffic personnel as well as the maintenance of buffer zone of 250m to 500m between the Tank Farm and the community.