18th November, 2019
PRESS RELEASE:
WE SUPPORT LAGOS WAR AGAINST NOISE POLLUTION - MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has thrown its weight behind the
war against noise pollution currently being waged by the Lagos State Government
(LASG). MURIC’s decision was made known in a statement circulated to media men
on Monday, 18th November, 2019 by its Director, Professor Ishaq
Akintola.
It will be recalled that the Lagos Commissioner for the Environment
and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, declared last week that the Lagos State
Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) had been mandated to apply the full
weight of the law. He asserted that his office had received several complaints
and petitions from many residents and associations across the state against
some religious centres, clubs, hotels, etc.
“We in MURIC back LASG’s move one hundred percent. There is an
urgent need to inject a heavy dose of sanity in some religious centres in
particular. The Lagos environment has been bastardised by tramadolised religiousity.
Decorum is no longer respected in the way people preach.
“They raise noise level to
the highest decibel and traumatize the neighbourhood. Dusk to dawn services rob
Lagosians of sleep as preachers scream to high heaven. Worse still, the
champions of articulated proselytisation take over commercial vehicles in the
daytime preaching from one destination to the other and making it impossible
for the drivers to concentrate. This is not allowed in sane societies. It is a
mark of religious fanaticism.
“The noisy night vigils and preaching inside commercial vehicles
have been partly responsible for road accidents as motorists deprived of sleep
and proper rest at night often doze off at the steering wheels, killing
innocent Lagosians. In addition, noise pollution has been party responsible for
poor academic performance among students as they find it difficult to study in
an acrobatically religionised environment.
“Furthermore, this gymnastic
spirituality has been responsible for the death of many sick Lagosians while the
illness of several others have deteriorated due to their inability to get
proper rest in their homes.
“We note with great interest that Lagos has been paying attention
to this social cankerworm over the years. We therefore hail LASG for being
consistent in the war against environmental pollution. We urge the Ministry of
Environment to fight the battle resiliently no matter whose ox is gored. We
advise all mosques in the state to obey the rules on noise pollution or face
the music.
“Except on Friday during the khutbah (sermon), mosques
should switch off their public address systems after the call to prayer (adhan).
Other irrelevant messages are for those inside the mosque, not for those in
their private homes. Lagosians reserve the right to enjoy their privacy. Your
own rights stop where those of others begin.
“As we take a break, we
charge LASEPA to visit the full wrath of the law on any mosque or church that
violates the noise pollution law. There should be no sacred cows. People who
refuse to do things properly do a lot of harm to society. We advise the
commissioner to dust up his files and step up the petitions. Offenders will not
take LASEPA serious unless action is taken against them. It is all in the
interest of a better society.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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