‘We lost estate member to noise pollution’
Residents of Jesus Estate, Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have raised the alarm over lingering noise pollution in the area. The residents, who attributed the
Residents of Jesus Estate, Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have raised the alarm over lingering noise pollution in the area.
The residents, who attributed the pollution to two hospitality and entertainment facilities in the area, Olivia Garden and Sky Cold, said many of them had been forced to relocate due to the menace.
Addressing reporters, Chairman of the estate, Mazi Ekene Anyaora, alleged that the death of Bonaventure Obunadike living within the estate might not be unconnected to the noise pollution.
He regretted that several efforts to stop both facilities from the nuisance had proved abortive, appealing to the government and the public to rescue them.
He said: “Our estate has been peaceful and loving until the emergence of the two hotels, which play loud music, especially at weekends. From Friday to Monday, their loud music will continue from dusk to dawn.
“As executives, we’ve gone to plead with them to consider the neighbourhood and reduce the noise, but they refused.
“We also wrote to Environmental and Health Services in Ojoto, who issued warning letter to them, explaining the gravity of the offence, yet they refused.
“We went ahead to write a petition to the local government Chairman, Amaka Obi, who directed the Director, Environmental and Health Services, who gave them another warning letter.
“Having explored these options at our disposal to no avail, we have now decided to engage the media so that the whole world will hear us.
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“We’re calling on our working and passionate governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, our able council chairman to come to our aid. We’re dying. We’re handicapped.
“One of us, Chief Bonaventure Obunadike, a BP patient, whose apartment is directly behind the hotel, kept crying over the noise pollution.
“He was said to have collapsed on new year day after suffering the all night noise from the hotel club and was confirmed dead in the hospital where he was rushed to.
“Unfortunately, the two facilities kept bragging that no one can stop them from their business. According to them, they have higher connection.
“As law-abiding citizens, we don’t want to toe the path of violence. That’s why we engaged the media to help us publicise the matter so we can be assisted.”
Another executive member, and Chairman, Constitution Committee, Mr Oliver Okonkwo, said he had resolved to be spending weekends in his village as solution to the menace.
“My house is near Olivia Garden. I no longer open my windows. Their music is non-stop. Anyday they close in time is by 2am. The once peaceful estate has been nicknamed “mad people” estate.
“They’ve forced me to be travelling to village every weekend. In fact, I’m planning to relocate because the facility is not only attracting prostitute, but also increasing level of insecurity in the estate.
“We’re not stopping them from doing their business, but they should apply caution,” he said.
A resident, Chukwuma Ebenezer, alias Deede, said he could no longer sleep without the aid of pills.
“The noise has not only increased my BP, but has made it difficult for me to sleep. I now take sleeping pills to enable me sleep even after closing my windows,” he lamented.
Wife of the deceased, Mrs Chinyere Obunadike, who could not talk much as a result of her condition, confirmed all the estate chairman had said.
“If his appeals were listened to, maybe he would have still been alive by now. We don’t know who will be the next on line,” the widow said amid sobs.
Contacted, managers of both facilities, Ambrose Nwokedi and Akajiobi Success, admitted receiving complaints from the estate’s executive, but claimed the music from their facilities was not loud enough to constitute nuisance in the neighbourhood.
While denying knowledge of the death of one of the residents, they described linking their music to Obunadike’s death as untrue.
