‘It Is Better My Mouth Smells, And Nigeria Gets Better’ – Rufai Oseni Challenges Lagos Govt On Environmental Assessment

Nigerian media personality, Rufai Oseni, has challenged the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and the federal ministries to publicise documents related to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the coastal road project.

NEWSNGR reports that Rufai made the demand while speaking on Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Wednesday, following recent flooding in parts of Lagos state.

According to him, the government should release correspondence, reports and other records showing how the environmental impact assessment was conducted and how its findings addressed potential flooding risks.

Oseni, who vowed not to remain silent regarding the situation in the country, argued that a major road project could not have proceeded without consultations between the state and federal governments.

He 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.”