Lagos Seals Off Lord’s Chosen Church Headquarters

Posted by African Examiner Ayo Balogun, Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, October 8th, 2013

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

The gate of the sealed church

The Lagos State Government has sealed off the headquarters church of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement over gross environmental abuse and erection of structures along system 6c drainage channel.

While monitoring the state of Lagos Environment, the Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello noticed massive trading under the Ijesha bridge along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway and large scale environmental degradation arising from the activities of the traders.

Further investigation revealed that the church does not have solid waste disposal facility, but burns its waste inside the church premises, thereby exposing the lives of its worshipers to serious health hazard.

According to Bello, a further investigation inside the church’s premises revealed that a substantial part of the one kilometre church Auditorium lying on the Odo Asimawu drainage canal, thereby impeding the flow of storm water.

“It was also discovered that the Church built its toilets on the canal, thereby discharging all its human waste into the canal. In order prevent an outbreak of epidemic, the state government is left with no other option but to seal the entire church premises,” he said.

The commissioner stated that the church would not be re-opened until it carried out complete sanitization of the entire church environment, put in place proper solid waste facility, desist from refuse burning, remove all structures on drainage channel, build new toilet facilities and evacuate solid waste dumped inside the canal.

Bello said the government would not shirk in its responsibility in protecting Lagos environment and ensure that its residents were protected from environmental abuse.

The commissioner restated government’s commitment towards environmental regeneration and renewal programmes geared towards attaining a sustainable and habitable environment in the state.