The Ogun State Government has sealed three religious centres for contravening its laws on noise pollution and defying the government’s repeated orders on pollution.
The three worship centres are Christ Apostolic Church, Fountain of Faith District Headquarters, Gbogunmi, Itedo Alafia Community, Bode Olude, Ambassador of Truth Assembly International, Olorunseye Avenue, Ijeun Titun and Salvation Ministries, Kuforiji Olubi Drive Adigbe GRA all in Abeokuta.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Farook Akintunde, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said all three churches were sealed after several warnings and dialogue with them to stop the noise pollution emanating from their worship centres proved abortive.
Akintunde said the Christ Apostolic Church, Gbogunmi, was fond of holding vigils with its loudspeakers placed outside its premises at night thereby disturbing the peace of its immediate community.
“The community has not only complained but has written a strong petition against the church saying the noise pollution emanating from the church is affecting the health of their members.
“All efforts to make the presiding Pastor and the elders of the church see reasons to stop the pollution proved abortive; no serious government will fold its hands and watch such infractions affect the health and well-being of its residents,” Akintunde stated.
For the Ambassador of Truth Assembly, the government said they were equally found guilty of blaring their loudspeakers at odd times aside from incessant noise pollution during their services, while worshippers of Salvation Ministries, Adigbe were said to be unruly and rough-handed government officials when sealing their church.
He warned against obstructing government officials from performing their official duties and called on other religious centres against noise pollution saying the state government would not hesitate to seal up any of them found guilty of noise pollution in any part of the state.