After shutting down 53 hotels and places of worship, including churches and mosques, for noise pollution, the Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA) has received commendation from a Muslim group.
“This development is further proof that LASG is ready to walk its talk as Lagos is generally referred to as the center of excellence,” said the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in a statement issued Wednesday by its director Ishaq Akintola.
“It also proves that the state government is committed to the improvement of health of its citizens as well as the maintenance of decorum, civilized living, law and order.”
According to the group, noise pollution has been the cause of falling academic standard in schools because noise from mosques and churches distract students and teachers studying at home.
“In fact there are hundreds of other offenders with whom nemesis hasn’t caught up. We remind the authorities of such religious centers of the long arms of the law,“ the group added.
It further lamented that Nigeria is the only country where citizens use religion to infringe on what it called Allah-given fundamental human rights of others.
“The leaders who stole billion of dollars which are currently being investigated were shuttling weekly between Jerusalem, Makkah, and Abuja. Yet it didn’t stop them from pocketing our commonwealth, and subjecting us to abject poverty,” the group said.
It then called on LASEPA to lay more emphasis on educating Lagosians on the effects of noise pollution on residents.