Worried by the proliferation of noise in residential areas, the Lagos State government has handed down 90-day ultimatum to churches and mosques to sound-proof their premises or risk closure.
The section 9 of the law establishing Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) empowered the agency to make regulations on acceptable standards or criteria to control the pollution level of water, air, noise and land in consonance with the federal government guidelines and policies and criteria on the environment.
It however fixed the maximum permissible noise limit for mixed residential areas with some commercial and entertainment to 55 dba from 6-10pm and 45 dba from 10pm-6am. Commissioner for environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare , who stated this at a parley with church representatives in Lagos warned that state’s zero tolerance to noise pollution was still in force.
He regretted the influx of religious centres in various residential areas in the state adding that the ultimatum was as a result of complaints by residents on the extent of noise in places of worship.
Adejare maintained that any noise above the approved noise levels contravened the provisions of the National Environmental Noise Standard and Controls regulations 2009 as well as the Lagos State Environmental Laws 2017.
He emphasised the need for places of worship to carry out their activities orderly without infringing on the rights of residents.
According to him, “The paramount commandment is to love God and love your neighbour as yourselves.”
The commissioner solicited the support of religious centres in adhering to government rules on noise levels adding that they were mandated to operate in an enclosed and soundproof environment using regulated speakers.
“Various structures ranging from residential plots, uncompleted buildings, open spaces, shops and motor parks are being converted to religious worship centres which is not befitting for a mega city like Lagos,” he concluded.
Source -
http://leadership.ng/2017/11/21/lasg-gives-mosques-churches-90-day-ultimatum-noise-pollution/
Similarly, the Oyo State government, August, 2017, also gave a two-week ultimatum to churches, mosques, as well as clubs and restaurants to remove their outdoor speakers or face prosecution.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Isaac Ishola gave the ultimatum during an inter-ministerial press briefing in Ibadan, the state capital. He said the complaints and distress calls from residents made the ban necessary.
Ishola explained that the Oyo state government was committed to reducing the noise level in residential areas to 45 decibel at night and 60 decibel in the afternoon within five meters radius.
He also disclosed that some places of worship had been sealed up for noise pollution, while no fewer than 372 environmental offenders have been prosecuted in the last one year.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr. Toye Arulogun and other aides to the governor also attended the meeting.
Warning against noise pollution, he said religious activities should not be made to disturb others, adding that most of the complaints were against places of worship.
He said: “We are giving churches and mosques with external speakers two weeks to remove them. You don’t use religion to disturb others. I am a Christian and I have supervised the locking up of three churches for disturbing their neighbours with noise. If I can do that against churches I will do it against mosques and other places.”
The commissioner enjoined all owners of vehicles and motorcycles to take them for emission test at the offices of three consultants approved for the exercise.
He said: “If you own a vehicle, motorcycle or generator, it must be subjected to gaseous emission test. The essence is not to make money for government, but to control gaseous emission believed to be one of the major causes of cancer and other ailments. The ministry has two mobile courts that would sit during the day and we have arranged that magistrates courts should also try environmental offenders.”
The commissioner disclosed that the state had also approved additional 70 waste collectors, while a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with West African Energy to convert waste to wealth in the state.
Can Rivers state do same????
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