Lagos floods: Oseni demands Environmental Impact Assessment report on coastal road

Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has challenged the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and the federal ministries responsible for environment and works to make public documents relating to the environmental impact assessment, EIA, for the coastal road project following recent flooding in parts of the state.

Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Wednesday, Oseni said public officials should release correspondence, reports and other records showing how the environmental impact assessment was conducted and how its findings addressed potential flooding risks.

Oseni specifically argued that such a major road project could not have proceeded without consultations between the state and federal governments.

Oseni said: “You see, when we talk, they say my mouth is smelling, but it is better my mouth smells and Nigeria gets better.

“Today, I would like to challenge the Ministry of Environment in Lagos, and challenge the Federal Ministry of Environment and Works to please show us one mail trail and the negotiations and conversations over the environmental impact assessments.

“This is because there’s no how you would have been building a road like that, you will not have environmental impact assessments where the state Ministry of Environment liaises with the federal.

“So, I challenge them to bring out those documents. I also want to challenge them to bring out the critical work of the environmental impact assessment and the narrative around the effects of this coastal road on Lagos, on flood waters, when it was done, and the mitigating effect that they said was going to be done.

“I also challenge them to bring out those documents as regards the floods in the other areas.”