Tag Archives: NOISE POLLUTION

Lagos government bans live band at bars, restaurants over noise pollution.

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The Lagos state government has banned live band music in bars and restaurants.

The state government has imposed a 500,000 fine on those who flout the directive.

General manager?, Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA), Adebola Shabi, made this known on Monday.

He said the decision on noise pollution was necessitated by petitions made by residents who complained about the frequent disturbance from the bars, clubhouses and religious houses.

The government also warned religious houses to make their premises sound proof in order to reduce the effect of noise generated in the areas where they are situated.

He also said that most households in Lagos were ignorantly drinking water already contaminated by petrochemical substances.

He said that based on a research recently conducted in the state’s agency, the Alimosho area recorded the highest rate of water contaminated by petrochemical substance.

Shabi warned petrol stations in the state to install monitoring well in their filling stations or face serious sanction.

He said that the state would not fold its arms and allow residents continue to consume what could lead to cancer.

 

Source: The Cable

Lagos Shuts Down 70 Churches, 20 Mosques Over Noise Pollution

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The Lagos State Government on Wednesday, shut down 70 churches, 20 mosques and about 11 hotels, club houses and beer parlours in a move aimed at reducing noise in the state.

The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Bola Shabi, who made this known, said that henceforth, the state government would no longer allow make-shift buildings to be used as places of worship.

Shabi said: “Precisely about 70 churches, 20 mosques and about 11 hotels, club houses and beer parlours were shut and we’ve given them some directives to follow.

“We’ve been so strict now that we are not going to even allow make-shift churches in the state any longer. “What I mean by make-shift, using tents and uncompleted building, we are not going to allow that any further in the state.

“But I will strongly tell you that the level of compliance is more on the mosque area, because immediately you shut them, they instantly bring down their speakers or reduce the noise they make.’’

Shabi said that LASEPA planned to reduce noise in the state to 70 percent and to zero per cent by the year 2020. “As at today, we are only able to reduce the noise level to about 35 per cent. That is not a pass mark yet.

So, until we reach that target of 70 to 80 per cent, 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.

Credit: Vanguard

Church Members Arrested During Service For Noise Pollution

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The police in Lagos have arrested six persons for allegedly disturbing the peace of residents of Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, during a church service.

 

 

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele (26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and Okorie Livonus (36) – were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba.

 

They were accused of converting a residential apartment to a church.

 

It was learnt that the landlord and residents of the building where the defendants gathered to worship had complained that the congregation caused noise pollution whenever they prayed.

They were said to have cautioned the worshippers to lower their voices, but the members reportedly declined.

 

The church was reported to the police at the Pen Cinema division, who arrested the six members on January 14 during Sunday service, while the others were said to be at large.

 

They were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni, on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the peace.

 

The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

 

The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

 

“That you and others still at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

 

 

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

 

The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.

 

 

The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.

 

 

Credit : Punch

Kanu Nwankwo’s Hotel Shut Down By Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency

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The Hardley Apartments, on Victoria Island owned by Kanu Nwankwo was among other hotels, churches and mosques sealed across the state on Monday over alleged air and noise pollution.

No fewer than 30 facilities were shut in areas, including Ketu, Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, Victoria Island and Surulere.

LASEPA said the owners of the facilities had been contacted several times in the last one year, adding that they refused to fully complied with LASEPA’s instructions.

At a mosque in Ketu ? Olorunkemi Mosque ? the leaders claimed to have taken down their speakers as instructed by the agency almost immediately.

However, the mosque was sealed for allegedly not complying fully with LASEPA’s instruction.

Other places also sealed include the Rain of Power and Miracles Ministry Church, Lekki; Christ Apostolic Church, Lekki; Duckland Hotels and Suites, Ikorodu; and Mela Rossa Club, Victoria Island.

At the Hardley Apartments, it was noticed that the generators powering the hotel had large exhaust pipes facing the road.

The Director of Enforcement, Kayode Bello, ordered that one of the generators be tested, and it was discovered that it gave off thick gaseous emissions.

Bello said, “Even the sound is going to be more than 45 decibels at night. We want you to comply ? that is the reason we are here. We have been on this for more than a year.”

The doors and gates of the hotel were subsequently chained, and plastered with the LASEPA seal.

Later at a press briefing in Ikeja, LASEPA General Manager, Rasheed Shabi said, “The environment belongs to every one of us. Lagosians need to live in peace. A survey was carried out by an international organisation and it was discovered that 60 per cent of Nigerians have hearing problem.

“LASEPA, in the last two to three years, has been conducting surveys on religious houses, and our findings revealed that 95 per cent of them do not have approval to operate in Lagos.

“Most houses and club houses do not have fiscal planning approval. Before you can build any hotel anywhere in the world, there must be an environmental impact assessment.

“Most of the markets we have in Lagos State; we have people using trucks to sell their products with speakers to disturb the peace of Lagosians. Soon, we will tow as many trucks as possible to get them off the streets.”

Shabi said the owner of the places sealed would sign an undertaking that they would comply with instructions meant to clean up the environment.

“After today, the enforcement unit will go round. Anybody that breaks the seal has violated the Lagos State law. We will then involve the Ministry of Justice,” Shabi added.