The Oyo State Government has closed off a new generation church at Golden Estate, in Oluyole, Ibadan, over claims of noise pollution.
The state government revealed that the action was taken against a branch of Christ Life Church in the area, after many unresolved steps taken by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to intervene among the aggrieved individuals, residents and the church management.
Architect Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, the Commissioner for Environment Natural Resources had made the on Friday.
The Commissioner added that the state government made the decision after it was left with no other option but to close the church premises to stave off preventable escalations of brewing tensions between the residents and the church on the next Sunday service.
The Ministry had upon on receiving several complaints from next door neighbours to the church (over the loud, constant noise), through official letters and phone calls, had visited the area, on Thursday 9th November, 2023.
The team from the ministry had then recorded the sound level of the church activities at intervals, starting from praise and worship, with the average reading of 74 decibels.
Finally, the Commissioner declared that the action of the church contravened the Extant Environmental Regulations of 2023, Section 58, Paragraph (b) which states that the noise limits for residential areas at daytime must not exceed 65 decibels.
A resolution meeting was held with the comcerned parties in the ministry’s conference room on 29th November 2023, but the church had refused to sign the undertaking letter, with the excuse to get approval from its headquarters and report back on Monday 4th December, 2023.
Finally, the state government decided to seal the church due to their continued disobedience to the state’s regulations.
