By Dotun Ibiwoye & Monsuru Olowoopejo

Lagos State Government last week commenced immediate clampdown on religious outfits and companies that violate the 2010 environmental law of the state especially on air and noise pollution.

The violators according to the State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA contravene sections of the 2010 law on air and noise pollution, designed in compliance with the 2007 World Health Organisation Conference on noise pollution.

At the conference 10 years ago, it was agreed that residents who live in noisy environment would be faced with mental health problems, sleep deprivation, hearing impairment, high blood pressure, and many other diseases.

Vanguard gathered that the noise from religious outfits and industries is meant to be at 90 decibel in the day and at night, 80 decibel. While in areas described as mixed (residents and industry), the noise pollution is expected at 65 decibel while at night it should be 55 decibel.

But in Lagos, these sections of the law have been violated by residents. The violation of these sections of the law was not limited to any particular area in the State, as it was rampant in communities closer to major markets in the state.

Vanguard learned that about two-third of the carbon monoxide, a third of the nitrogen oxides, and a quarter of the hydrocarbons were emitted from rickety cars into the atmosphere. Worried by the extent of petition before the House committee on Environment, Lagos State House of Assembly raised concerns over the level of noise in the state, and the strategies adopted by LASEPA.

In response to the vote of no confidence passed against LASEPA, the agency swung into action and shut 40 religious houses, industries, night clubs and others for contravening the State guidelines on noise and air pollutions.

Notable among the business outfits shut by the agency was Hardley Apartments, Victoria Island, owned by ex-Super Eagles Player, Kanu Nwankwo, shut for air pollution. Also shut were Aguda Central Mosque; a branch of Christ Embassy was sealed for using 13 speakers outside its premises and New York cable wires in Baruwa axis of the state.

Speaking on the action taken by the agency, the General Manager of LASEPA, Engineer Rasheed Shabi lamented that noise pollution had been giving the state government serious concern, saying that his office received between 10 and 15 petitions on noise pollution on daily basis.

The general manager said “In the last four years, we have been receiving lots of complains from the residents of Lagos state complaining over the increase in the level of noise pollution in the state especially from religious house and club houses.

Hazard of pollution

He explained that on realizing this, the agency embarked on “sensitizations across the state to inform residents on hazard of pollution but residents have failed to comply. So, we decided to enforce the law establishing the agency. And when we seal, we tell the owner of the outfit to correct certain things before such outfits could be reopened.”

The general manager stressed that shutting religious houses is not to witch-hunt but to correct the anomalies in the society. “and that was why we don’t ask them to pay fines but they are mandated to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the state government, stating that they will comply with the laws.”

His words “When we did the noise pollution audit in Ikorodu, we discovered that iron and steel companies contribute over 80 percent of the pollution load in that axis. But through our continuous monitoring, it has reduced to 50 percent pollution load.

“There were about 33 water receiving points in Lagos State. All are highly polluted. We need to give out a cleaner environment to the next generation; we have to work together as government cannot do it alone. We also need to work with volunteers who can give us information on how to reduce pollution.

“Excessive exposure to noise pollution could lead to deafness and eye defect. You cannot open mosques and churches in residential areas and disturb others, we can’t take that.

The impression people have out there is that we are not working. People have to collaborate with the government. The federal, state and local governments must work together.

He added: “At almost all the markets we have in Lagos State, we have people using trucks to sell their products with speakers disturbing the peace of Lagosians. I can assure you that very soon; we will tow as many trucks as possible to get them off the streets.

“The local government should call all these people together and use the language they understand to pass the message across to them.”
On Kanu hotel

Speaking to Vanguard on Sunday, Shabi said that the outfit was re-opened last Thursday, August 6th, 2015 and was given seven days to correct the anomalies. He said “We have directed the management of the outfit to replace their generator and do power audit to know the quantity of power they will need.”
The general manager debunked the claim that shutting the outfit owned by the former super eagles players was not for political reasons.

It was learned that the facility was re-opened after the outfit sent an action plan to the state government through the agency and signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU to comply with the government directives.

Shabi said “It will serve as a guide immediately after the expiration of the action plan submitted by the organization. So when we re-visit the organization, we will use that as a guide to know if he had complied or not.”

On Computer Village
Shabi said “Probably next week (this week), I will invite you (journalist) because I spoke with traders at the Computer Village over the high rate of noise and air pollution from their generators.

“And petitions have not stopped rolling in. And due to this, I was forced to invite the Community Development Area, CDA and the traders committee, and I asked them to go back and tell those who are violating the environmental law of the state to desist.   And any moment from now, we will disguise to the market to measure the percentage of their decibel.

“There are other measures that traders can adopt to advertise their products. For instance traders in this market use big speakers all in the name that they want to advertise their product. They are disturbing the peace of others. This is a peaceful state but residents have made it un-habitable,” he added.