Funmi Ogundare
The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi has felicitated with the Christians in the State for witnessing another celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
He also called on the residents to continue to live in peace, love one another and celebrate the season in the best way that will not affect their health or impact negatively on the environment.
Speaking at a special media chat with journalists on the importance of the celebration and the lessons to be learnt, he stressed the need for Christian faithfuls to imbibe all the tenets of the Christmas celebrations including; love for one another, free giving, faithfulness, purity, justice, truthfulness and emulation of Christ’s righteousness for a better society.
Ajayi thanked the residents for allowing peaceful coexistence among people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, noted that government development plans can only be achieved in the atmosphere of peace, urging them to continue to love one another, live together peacefully and maximise the benefit of their diversity to promote the nation’s economic growth and infrastructure development.
The LASEPA boss however warned the residents to always remember that the state environmental laws prohibiting pollution, loud music and noises from worship centers, club houses, as well as other environmental infractions that can negatively impact on human health are still in force.
He called on leadership and members of various religious organizations, club owners , industries and other interest groups operating in the State to recall various stakeholders engagement held by the State government and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) jointly agreed on that the yuletide should be moderately celebrated with less noise, no pollution and strictly adherence to the State Environmental laws in the best interest of the public health.
The General Manager warned that his enforcement team would be on patrol everyday , to ensure compliance with the state regulations on noise and general environmental pollution throughout the festive period.
According to him,” all religious houses, club houses and other entertainment outlets are to operate within enclosed and soundproofed environments with regulated use of speakers, giving due consideration to neighboring residents during and after the celebration.”
He reminded that the standard approved noise level in residential area shall not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night while that of industrial and commercial areas in the state shall not exceed 90 and 70 decibels, respectively, during the day.
Ajayi added that worship centers must equally reduce the number of internally placed speakers to the barest minimum, such that those speakers would address only the congregation/ members of that center and not the neighborhood
In addition, all open air and outdoor activities in the state shall henceforth be carried out with due authorization from the relevant government agencies while those involving the use of amplifiers and speakers shall hold after due authorization from LASEPA without contravening the stipulated approved noise limit for that environment
” As part of our ministerial mandates, we are determined to ensure that our people continue to enjoy good health, noiseless and pollution free environment during and after the yuletide so that they can grow in health and avoid consequences of noisy and polluted environment after the celebration, we will continue implement government policies and regulations guiding a clean and sustainable environment in the best interest of the public,’’ Ajayi stated.
