OYO State government has began to shut down religious houses and others for noise pollution. At the weekend, Isaac Ishola, Oyo State commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, led the campaign as a number of churches in the state were sealed off for noise pollution.

Ishola was particularly sad at the kind of treatment he received from the head of new generation church while attempting to seal off the church for violating environmental laws.

The commissioner alleged that the head of the church molested, harassed and insulted him on the church premises while trying to prevent the sealing of the church.

He said: “I was insulted and harassed (at the weekend) by a pastor, the owner of one of the sealed churches. He refused to comply with the state noise regulations. The pastor refused to attend a meeting when called. In fact, the pastor came out, pounced on me and said I could not seal the church because if I did, it would close my destiny. And I told him that I am a Christian too, but ‘you cannot use Christianity to disturb the peace’ of others…”

According to the commissioner three churches have sealed off for alleged noise pollution and violating the government’s prescribed noise level.

Speaking in his office at the weekend, Ishola warned against violation of the state environmental laws, particularly noise regulation.

He said that the ministry would no longer tolerate impunity of religious organisations violating noise regulation in the state.

Hence, the commissioner urged religious bodies to remove speakers mounted on their buildings, which he said. were violating government’s laws regulating noise in the environment.

He warned that anybody who refused to comply would be arrested and the premises sealed, in line with the laws regulating noise in the state.

Aug 14, 2017 @ 12: 10 GMT