Residents of Akoka community have commended Total service station Akoka for its swift response in tackling an accidental fuel leakage which resulted in contamination of the water sources of some houses.
According to Segun Adesanya, Chairman, Akoka Community Development Association, the station notified him of the spillage from their station and also took immediate actions to inform the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) about the pollution and Total was ordered on what to do. He hinted that reports from Lagos State government, shows that Total has done all they were required to do.
In their remarks, some landlords said the community was free from any form of contamination, praising the swift response of the management of the filling station after the leakage was reported.
Speaking to journalists, one of the landlords whose house was affected, Mr. Razak Odufuwa, of No. 57, St Finbarrs College Road, Akoka, confirmed that there was an incident of fuel leakage in the area. He commended the quick reaction of the management of the service station to mitigate the effect.
According to Odufuwa, “When the incident occurred, our water was contaminated and unsafe to drink or for any other domestic purposes. The station was the first to alert us; they disconnected all the water sources and gave us an alternative source of water while they corrected the situation. They have corrected the situation, dug a new borehole in my house and I now have clean water.”
Another resident whose house was affected confirmed that Total provided household tank and regularly filled it with water thrice a week. He added that a borehole was also drilled in his compound which provides clean and portable water. “Since the incident, we called them and they responded, they supplied water and drilled a borehole which we have been drinking from’’ he said
According to documents obtained from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Bariga police station who fully participated in the remediation process the area was certified free from contamination. They also presented the final certification reports declaring the area free and safe from pollution.