- Safiu Kehinde
Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed over 352 churches, mosques, and other facilities over noise pollution and other environmental infractions.
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, revealed this while giving a year report of his stewardship to the press on Tuesday in Ikeja.
He decried the spate at which residents violate environmental regulations, especially noise pollution.
Babatunde noted that noise pollution is often perpetrated by churches through the public preaching with loudspeakers and microphone.
According to the LASEMA boss, these religious houses do comply to the regulations for a while but often go back to violate them.
“Residents are bad behaved in terms of complying with regulations. One major challenge of noise pollution is that after enforcement they comply for a while, before you know it, they go ballistic again. They go back to the same offence.”
“Then we start the process again. The reason we have them to comply for a while is because they pay fines and we shut them down.”
“There is no city in the world that does not leverage fines and penalties for violations. There must be consequences for actions.”
“It’s not only Nigeria’s problem, is global. People tend to go back to bad behaviour. “
“The use of microphones also at bus stops and religious houses are major concern. Even Christian worshippers come out with loudspeakers and microphones to preach in public.” Babatunde said.
He further emphasized that religious sector ranked highest in public sector indulging in noise pollution.
“For noise pollution, the religious sector takes the highest because there is little or no control in terms of how you can set up religious houses going by our current regulations.”
“It takes a strong-willed policy to have that in control. In Nigeria today some churches want to have two branches on a street or Mosques.”
“We have had conversations with representatives of religious houses about why noise pollution is a bad idea and why they need to maintain less than 60 decibels for decorum during service, and the danger they are causing to the public as well as themselves. We do this engagement regularly.” He added.