Remove all external speakers in 14 days, Oyo govt to religious houses’ owners

Not long after three churches in Ibadan, Oyo state, were sealed last week over noise pollution, the state government has asked owners of religious houses using external speakers to remove such speakers within the next two weeks or be sanctioned.

This order, handed down by State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Isaac Ishola, on Tuesday, was to cushion wanton noise pollution emanating from mosques, churches, disc jockeys, aside from that of telecommunication companies, generating sets and vehicular hooting.

While noting religious buildings, he decried non-adherence of some religious institutions to reducing noise from their vigils and calls to prayer, while failing to acquire acoustic furniture, internal speakers and having padded walls.

Ishola who spoke alongside Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun and Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka, also mentioned disc jockeys and gyms who exceed stated decibels of sound production.

After the next fourteen days, he added that those found guilty of noise pollution will have their religious houses or structures sealed, while its owners sign an undertaking before such houses are reopened.

In responding to calls by residents for more effective waste management, Ishola said all was set for the state to engage additional 70 private waste collectors.

He argued that the state continued to engage private service providers with the needed capacity to clear waste to end hitherto monthly expenditure of N56 million by the state government on waste collection.

In the same vein, he said the ministry last week commenced house-to-house inspection of toilets, to span all zones of the state.

Furthermore, Ishola said the state government is keen on acquiring a site on Sagamu road to start converting waste to wealth.

He added that 272 persons had been arraigned for flouting environmental sanitation regulations on street trading, waste disposal, rearing of domestic animals and poultry farming.

While talking about ongoing gaseous emission tests on vehicles, motorcycles, generating sets, he admonished residents to be circumspect to avoid patronising illegal revenue collectors.