Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni has called on the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and the Federal Ministries overseeing environment and works to make public all documents relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted for the Lagos Coastal Road project following recent flooding in parts of the state.
Speaking during The Morning Show on Arise Television on Wednesday, Oseni urged the relevant authorities to release correspondence, reports and other official records detailing how the environmental impact assessment was carried out and how it addressed potential flooding risks associated with the project.
According to him, a project of such magnitude could not have proceeded without extensive consultations between the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government on its environmental implications.
Oseni maintained that the public deserves access to the documents to better understand the planning process and the measures proposed to mitigate the impact of the coastal road on surrounding communities.
“You see, when we talk, they say my mouth is smelling, but it is better my mouth smells and Nigeria gets better,” he said.
He further challenged the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Federal Ministry of Works to publish the correspondence and negotiations relating to the project’s environmental impact assessment.
“There is no way you would have been building a road like that without environmental impact assessments where the state Ministry of Environment liaises with the federal,” Oseni stated.
He also called for the release of the full environmental impact assessment report, including findings on the potential effects of the coastal road on Lagos’ flood patterns, when the assessment was conducted, and the mitigation measures proposed to reduce any adverse consequences.
In addition, Oseni urged the authorities to disclose documents relating to flooding in other affected parts of Lagos, insisting that greater transparency would help the public understand the government’s response to the environmental challenges.
