Lagos to Clamp Down on Churches, Mosques over Noise Pollution

The Lagos State Government said on Tuesday that it has directed the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to halt proliferation of churches and mosques in Lagos as part of effort to reduce noise pollution in the state.
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello made the revelation while speaking at the annual ministerial press briefing in Lagos. He said that there are streets in Lagos where there are as much as four churches and mosques in Lagos State, adding that government will henceforth not allow that to continue.
He said officials of the ministry will soon meet with religious organisation in Lagos to halt the trend.
“We all worship God and he listens to us, it is not by making noise”, he said, adding that residents of the state get tired and deserve rest free from noise after spending so much time in their various places of work. He said the trend could engender health problems in many residents of Lagos State. The commissioner said LASEPA has been given the full responsibility to tackle noise pollution in the state adding that the agency has been doing quite well based on commendation from Nigerians.
On open defecation, he said the state government is worried that it is becoming a trend and that efforts is being made to use law enforcement officers to bring the situation under control. He said that the state government will soon commence re-development of public toilets across the state adding that public toilets currently in use in Lagos State are being converted into markets and other uses hence the state government halted further development.