Interview: Meet The Alumna

Clerics in Support as Lagos Shut Down Worship Centers for Noise Pollution

Clerics in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos state have spoken in support of the recent closure of worship centers in Lagos state, as they kick against noise pollution during worship periods.

The state government had on July 29^th 2016 shut down 70 churches and 20 mosques in the state in pursuance of a 2020 mandate to make Lagos a noise free state.

The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Bola Shabi, said that LASEPA planned to reduce noise in the State to seventy percent and to zero percent by the year 2020.

He said, “Presently, we are only able to reduce the noise level to about 35 percent. That is not a pass mark yet. So, until we reach that target of 70 to 80 percent, we will continue the enforcement.

“Enforcement is a continuous exercise and we have set a target for ourselves. We want to ensure that Lagos is noise-free by the year 2020. With our status as a mega city, by year 2020 we will be free of noise,” he said.

Reacting to this, a prophet at Iyana Ipaja, S.O. Samuel, of Wonderful Glorious Power Evangelical Ministry, stated that worshipping God did not necessary need to cause noise pollution.

According to him, Lagos State was right in shutting churches that generated noise pollution.

He said, “Nobody likes noise - me personally will not like anybody to disturb me because they want to worship God. God is not deaf. He will hear you if you pray without disturbing anybody.

“In my church here, the loud speakers are inside the church and not outside, to disturb people living within the vicinity. It is not proper. You can worship silently, God will hear you. So it is not until everybody in that vicinity hears you crying to God.”

He advised other churches to cooperate in reducing noise in Lagos State.

Also speaking to Alimoshotides, Chief Imam of Araromi Central Mosque, Alhaji Ismail Jamiu, stated that noise was not a part of worship stressing that he had had to stop some Islamic programs in the mosque in order to ensure the absence of noise pollution.

He said, “It is a good idea; Islam does not even allow it. You can pray silently, God will answer you. Formerly, we use to hold night vigils in this mosque but because of that law, we had to stop it.

Ismail, who was holding an Islamic program as at the time of the interview, said that the program was done annually and not meant to foster noise in the area.

“This program we are doing is not meant to foster noise. In fact, it is held just once in a year and we will not make use of all the speakers, especially the one at the highest floor. We must comply with Lagos State rules.”

Chairman of Alimosho Community Development Committee (CDC), Chief Shola Ogunyonbo, speaking to Our Community Newspaper urged worship centres to carry out their worship activities without disturbing the community.

“If you are worshipping, that doesn’t mean you should disturb other people from their own rights. Noise pollution is a disturbance to people living in the community, and it is not the right of anybody to make noise with the excuse of freedom of worship,” he said.