Nigeria: Reps mandate Environment committee to assess dredging activities in coastal area in Lagos

“If urgent steps are not taking to address this issue, we may experience break down of law and order which may lead to wanton destruction of material and human resources as recently experienced during the ENDSars protest."

To assess the dredging activities in the area of coastal fishing communities under Ibeju Lekki's local government in Lagos, the House Committee on Environment is being mandated for urgent visits in the coastal area by the House of Representatives, according to a report by Leadership Ng.

Followed by an urgent national motion carried by Adebayo Olusegun Balogun from Lagos earlier on Monday, the environment committee has been reportedly mandated for a first-hand assessment of activities of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprises Ltd and Dangote Refinery.

As explained by the lawmaker the region is the fastest-growing economic hub of the country because of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the sitting of Dangote Greenfield Port and Dangote Refinery and Quays. Further adding that the two groups Lekki Port LFTZ and Dangote Group are allegedly involved in dredging activities harming the balance of the ecosystem. Since the dredging is causing unquantifiable erosion in the seashore leading to further destruction of fishing equipment, building, and in a larger scope causing land loss, loss of trees, access to roads, harming economic value in the region.

However, communities like Tiye, Idotun, Lekki Oshoroko, Okunraye, and environs are under critical threat of extinction if no urgent action is taken, he mentioned.

He added, "the association of fishing and fishing related persons on behalf of the affected communities have written letters to the management of Dangote Group and the Lekki Free Trade Zone on the environmental danger of their dredging activities without any response. The association has also written to the Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR) to intervene in the issue and save their environment and source of livelihood. None of these agencies of government responded to their cry, with the exception of the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR) that sent a letter and pleaded with the fishing communities to remain law abiding, while they look into the issue".

He further expressed concerns that the fishing association and persons and communities related to fishing along the coastline of the Ibeju Lekki local government have lost their confidence in the system.

"If urgent steps are not taking to address this issue, we may experience break down of law and order which may lead to wanton destruction of material and human resources as recently experienced during the ENDSars protest," he said.