Minister seeks relocation of 5,000 people around Lekki Port

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday stressed the need to relocate about 5, 000 inhabitants around the Lekki Deep Seaport to a more convenient place.

He dropped the hint during the inspection of the port by President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after the commissioning of $2.5 billion Dangote Fertiliser Plant by the president.

The president, who was impressed by the level of construction work at the port, was taken round the port by the Minister.

He said that preparations should be made by government to either relocate the inhabitants or find a solution to their issues.

According to the minister: “I think relocation would be the best because if you do your environmental service, the implication is that you don’t just dislodge people from their natural environment even though the law gives you the power to one the land, you must take into consideration those who leave around the area.

“I want to have a conversation with the governor of Lagos State on what happened because we need to acquire all that land, which is about 1, 000 hectares. The reason for asking the president to come is to publicise the seaport so that people will know this Government is building a seaport and the first deep seaport in Nigeria.

“The other ports in Nigeria are all river ports. The next reason for the president coming is to put the heat on them, you are now that the port is almost ready, if not for the equipment, they can actually get this place ready before June, but they said the equipment are arriving by June, 2022 and installation will take them till September, 2022 and it can be commissioned in September.

“You see the miracle of bringing the president here, that is why it is important for a president to inspect projects, that will hasten the process of completion of there is money,” he said.

On the railway, he said that private investors could come in to build a railway line that would link the port. (New Telegraph)