An elder statesman and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Abia State, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, has warned Pentecostal churches against noise pollution which often denies citizens night sleep.
He deplored what he called the incessant provocation of residents of Umuahia by some Pentecostal churches which, under the guise of tarry nights, deprive people of sleep at night after the hassle of the day.
Chief Ogbonnaya, who was reacting to a viral video in which he was seen chasing worshippers away with a machete by 1am, explained that he took the action as a last resort after they persistently spurned his pleas.
“The Umuobasi Ugba Community Hall which they rented for worship is adjacent to my house where I sleep. Instead of worshipping in the mornings, they start theirs from 7pm to 7am, disturbing the entire neighbourhood with noise.”
“I have gone severally to plead with them, to warn them against such unwholesome practices. I have even gone to the executive of the town union which rented the place to them to call them to order, to no avail,” he explained.
He disclosed that he had even written to the relevant authorities to prevail upon them to stop, only for the noise nuisance to escalate.
“Someone who claims to be the wife of the SSA on legislative matters to Gov. Alex Otti openly challenged me that I can’t stop them from organising what they called a night vigil,” he lamented.
Chief Ogbonnaya, who is the Evulogu Ibeku, said on the night of the incident he had fully taken his prescribed drugs but could not sleep because of the noise pollution.
“It was already 1am and the noise pollution intensified. I was forced out of bed and I met them, asking them to vacate for the night. It was when that same woman claiming government connection challenged me that I had to reach for my machete for self-defence.”
He warned them to stay away from the hall at night as they constitute a severe danger to the peace and security of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Chief Ogbonnaya said that the matter would have escalated if he had invited the youths of the community to intervene.
He called on Gov. Alex Otti to call to order those who hide under his name to perpetrate evil, including denying innocent people their night sleep.
