A hotel owned by ex-Super Eagles player, Kanu Nwankwo, the Hardley Apartments, on Victoria Island has been shut down by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency.
The hotel was among other hotels, churches and mosques sealed across the state on Monday over alleged air and noise pollution.
No fewer than 30 facilities were shut in areas, including Ketu, Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, Victoria Island and Surulere.
LASEPA said the owners of the facilities had been contacted several times in the last one year, adding that they refused to fully complied with LASEPA’s instructions.
At a mosque in Ketu ─ Olorunkemi Mosque ─ the leaders claimed to have taken down their speakers as instructed by the agency almost immediately.
However, the mosque was sealed for allegedly not complying fully with LASEPA’s instruction.
Other places also sealed include the Rain of Power and Miracles Ministry Church, Lekki; Christ Apostolic Church, Lekki; Duckland Hotels and Suites, Ikorodu; and Mela Rossa Club, Victoria Island.
At the Hardley Apartments, it was noticed that the generators powering the hotel had large exhaust pipes facing the road.
The Director of Enforcement, Kayode Bello, ordered that one of the generators be tested, and it was discovered that it gave off thick gaseous emissions.
Bello said, “Even the sound is going to be more than 45 decibels at night. We want you to comply ─ that is the reason we are here. We have been on this for more than a year.”
The doors and gates of the hotel were subsequently chained, and plastered with the LASEPA seal.
Later at a press briefing in Ikeja, LASEPA General Manager, Rasheed Shabi said, “The environment belongs to every one of us. Lagosians need to live in peace. A survey was carried out by an international organisation and it was discovered that 60 per cent of Nigerians have hearing problem.
“LASEPA, in the last two to three years, has been conducting surveys on religious houses, and our findings revealed that 95 per cent of them do not have approval to operate in Lagos.
“Most houses and club houses do not have fiscal planning approval. Before you can build any hotel anywhere in the world, there must be an environmental impact assessment.
“Most of the markets we have in Lagos State; we have people using trucks to sell their products with speakers to disturb the peace of Lagosians. Soon, we will tow as many trucks as possible to get them off the streets.”
Shabi said the owner of the places sealed would sign an undertaking that they would comply with instructions meant to clean up the environment.
“After today, the enforcement unit will go round. Anybody that breaks the seal has violated the Lagos State law. We will then involve the Ministry of Justice,” Shabi added.
Why would they notuse noisy generators. No constant power. The government fail in their duty and the business man who is trying to make a living suffers for their shortfall.
ReplyDeleteDo they have to kill their neighbor because government has failed.
DeleteDon't mind them. Lagos state is always looking for ways to rip off business owners. Their intentions r good but Truthfully all conditions must be met before implementation of such rules. But the government of lagos seem to be more concerned about what gives dem IGR
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is 'fiscal planning approval' now?
ReplyDeletePls there some of all these local bread factories. That uses tires and rubers to becky their breads in the night in the midest of living houses ,somokes from these rubers and tires hardly allows person to sleep
ReplyDeleteWell we have to start from somewhere. But come to think of it...the unGodly satanic habits of all these religions centres blasting their speakers at the middle of nights and days are uncalled for. and after these will they expect the Good God to answer their prayers?No because they went against 1st order of God....love ur neighbor as thy self... anyway they have to do it bcos it is now money making ventures. God bless Nigeria. Kudos Shabi. we still expect more actions. The motor parks..cd sellers etc.
ReplyDeletePls someone should help me out there, from the look of things in Lagos right now is Ambode really working???
ReplyDeleteWe don't need grama and noise Lagostians want practical evidence of what is doing presently for Lagos because, Lagostians can testify to what Fashola did in his past government but if i may ask what is Ambode really doing?
ReplyDeleteWhy not wait and see
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