Lagos State Government Tuesday, sealed the Headquarters Church of the Lords Chosen Church, along the Apapa – Oshodi Expressway over alleged gross environmental abuse and erection of structures along Odo Asimawu Drainage Channel, System 6c.
While monitoring the state of Lagos environment, the Commissioner for the Environment noticed massive trading under the Ijesha flyover bridge along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway and large scale environmental degradation arising from the activities of the traders.
Further inspection round the
premises revealed that the church does not dispose the solid waste generated
properly, while as a matter of fact, it openly burns waste generated inside the
church premises, thereby exposing the lives of its worshipers to serious health
hazard.
A further investigation also
revealed that a substantial part of the 1 kilometer church Auditorium was built
on the Odo Asimawu drainage channel thereby impeding the flow of storm water,
as well as inhibiting effective performance of the channel.
It was also discovered that the
Church built all its toilets on the canal and deliberately discharges the raw
human waste into the canal.
Bello, explained that in order to
prevent an outbreak of epidemic, as well as protect the lives of its worshippers,
the state government was left with no other option but to seal the church
Auditorium.
He therefore, directed that, for the church to be reopened it must abate all the nuisances noticed as well as remove all the encumbrances along the drainage channel.
Other conditions stated for re
opening include: Completion of sanitization of the entire church environment,
putting in place a proper solid waste disposal facility, stop further refuse
burning, removal of all structures on drainage channel, building of a new
toilet facilities, and ensuring proper disposal as well as evacuation of
solid/human waste dumped inside the canal among others.
While commending the cooperation and
non resistance of the Church authorities, the commissioner observed their willingness
to comply, but stated that the state government would only unseal the
auditorium as until all the environmental nuisances were abated.
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