As a former banker who lived in Amuwo Odofin, I worked in Victoria Island, Lagos for over 5 years, which required getting out of bed at 5am daily to meet my 7:30am resumption time. I do not miss those days I had to stay up till morning because a religious organisation had an all-night activity with earsplitting sounds.
I am a spiritual person who is passionate about his religion. However, I have a mantra that says, “Treat people how you want to be treated.” In my view, it is inhumane to keep residents awake against their will because you have refused to understand the importance of good acoustics.
I wonder what the motive is. Could it be a way of inviting the neighbors, or do they just don’t care about the neighbors? Whatever the reasons are, I consider it unacceptable. We must do better.
People who live in the community go through a lot in their daily lives, and they deserve a good night’s rest. Many have to travel some distance to get to their place of work early, which is quite demanding. People require quality sleep to function properly at work, and we should not deprive them of quality sleep time.
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) released noise control guidelines that have not been adhered to by some religious organisations in Amuwo Odofin.
LASEPA stated that the noise level in residential areas at night should be 45 decibels, but unfortunately, the noise level we live with during the week and weekends is deafening.
Amuwo Odofin is primarily a residential area and should be treated as such. It is saturated with different kinds of organizations, which is good for the community, but we must not get carried away. And remember, this is mainly a residential area.
As a community, we need to start looking out for one another and we must not wait for government institutions like LASEP to enforce the law. We must take responsibility now and make our community convenient for everyone.
LASEPA guidelines must be strictly adhered to in order to make the community conducive for everyone.
While understanding that some religious organisations cannot afford quality soundproofing, it is advisable that night programs be conducted without sound systems and musical instruments. I believe this is a short-term solution to making this community a conducive residential area.
