Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo said he banned noise pollution rather than the evangelism that some people speculate.
The governor got heat from some Nigerians after video confronting an unidentified street missionary on the market last Saturday.
In the video, the governor ordered the preacher to stop causing harassment, reminding him of the law against noise pollution. He advised him to bring the sermon to church or designated spaces, warning violators of fines of 500,000.
Mefor strongly opposed to the opposition he received, the governor dismissed the claim of banning the evangelism in a statement signed by the National Information Commissioner, insisting that Sorudo’s remarks were misunderstood.
“The Anambra state government wants to resolve the crime report surrounding Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s recent missionary with Onitsha Market.
The governor’s remarks were misinterpreted as banning evangelism, and his focus was only on noise pollution, which was prohibited under the current public health law. ”
Mefor explained that Soludo is enforcing the 2006 Anambra Public Health Act, which prohibits excessive noise in public places including markets.
“To clarify, the governor mentioned the Public Health Act 2006, which prohibits noise pollution and preaching in inappropriate places such as markets such as speakers. The statement added
The Commissioner further cited legal proceedings on the issue and noted that the District Court of NNEWI upheld the law in 2019 against churches that violated the noise pollution regulations.
“The public is therefore advised to ignore any request, indicating that Governor Sorudo has banned evangelical preaching or public preaching in Anambra. Instead, we urge citizens to comply with the Public Health Act and respect the rights of others.” He said
