The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, has strongly condemned reported cases of noise pollution allegedly disrupting academic activities at a private school in Onitsha, warning that appropriate sanctions would be enforced if the situation persists.
The commissioner expressed her displeasure on Tuesday while responding to a petition submitted to her office by the proprietress of the affected school.
The petition accused Divine Dominion Prophetic Ministry, Onitsha located directly opposite the school premises of generating excessive noise during school hours.
According to the petition, the church, which constructed its auditorium in 2024, recently intensified its weekday activities, resulting in loud noise, particularly on Tuesdays.
It stated that church services often run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., overlapping with official school hours.
The petition further explained that the persistent noise has severely distracted students and teachers, disrupting teaching and learning despite several verbal appeals made to the church leadership to reduce the disturbance.
Addressing representatives of both the school and the church at her office in Awka, Prof. Chuma-Udeh stated that the Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led administration would not tolerate any action that infringes on the constitutional right of students to learn in a peaceful and conducive environment.
She said that noise pollution constitutes an offence under Nigerian law and is punishable once established.
The commissioner therefore urged religious institutions to ensure that noise generated from their premises is adequately controlled, especially when schools are located within close proximity.
While noting that the school existed before the church relocated to the area, Chuma-Udeh called on the church leadership to adopt peaceful and responsible measures to coexist harmoniously with the school.
As part of the resolution, she directed the church to reschedule its weekday activities to commence from 4:00 p.m., after the close of school hours.
She warned that failure to comply with the directive would compel the Ministry of Education to involve the Ministry of Environment, with attendant legal consequences.
The commissioner further stressed that although churches may conduct activities from morning till evening on Saturdays and Sundays, external examinations such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB must take priority, even when they fall on Saturdays.
In response, the Assistant Pastor of Divine Dominion Prophetic Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Ukpabi, assured the commissioner that the church would cooperate fully and work in harmony with the school to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
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