The Ashanti Regional Minister, my hero

And so just this past weekend, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, made news. He was reported to have ordered the arrest of a pastor of the Bethel Ministry in the region for making too much noise during a service. Yes, the minister had to do the work an organisation is paid to do but had failed to do over the years.

Obviously, the minister would not have had to do what he did if the police, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Metropolitan Assembly had been up to their mandate.

And what do we hear, some people even equating the minister to the devil. His crime? Making sure that he enjoys some quiet after a week’s hustle and bustle.

The action of the minister has drawn mixed reactions; while some have criticised him for reporting to the police, and even calling his style Rambo, others have hailed him for his action but say he should ensure the same peace for the whole community.

The issue of noise making and noise pollution in the country has become something so worrisome. Though many have complained about it, the situation seems to be getting out of hand. In our neighbourhoods, churches, beer bars, CD sellers and night clubs make noise from dusk to dawn. Operators of lorry parks are no exception as they blare notifications of where their vehicles ply through loud speakers. With instruments, loudspeakers and in the name of worshipping God, churches have been depriving people of sleep and attempts to talk them out of the practice has been futile.

Some members of such churches tag those who are bold to confront their noisemaking as devils and this has intimidated so many as they suffer in silence without complaint. With beer bars, their belief seem to be that the louder the music, the more customers are drawn to the bar and the more they stay to buy more. The operators of such bars do not care a hoot about their neighbours and how the noise they make affect them. With CD sellers, they think they have the licence to blare music from loudspeakers as they sell. How they derive that licence remains unknown. Okada riders seem to have taken a cue and are now attaching radios to their motorbikes which they listen to at high levels as they look for business and carry passengers from one end of town to another.

The result of the actions of such individuals is the noise pollution we experience in the whole country, which continues to deprive many of good and very needed sleep, as well as some peace and quiet they are entitled to.

It is very difficult to understand why some Ghanaians think that they have the right to disturb others in the name of worship or religion, business, pleasure or for whatever reason.

It is very sad that we have watched on for a very long time with little action, thereby emboldening more people to join the noise- making wagon and in blatant disregard for the effects of their actions on others.

Occasionally, we hear some messages from the EPA talking about noise pollution and its negative effects, including hearing loss, but their efforts and impact have yielded no fruits as the noise continues unabated. And it seems many do not know that it is an offence to make noise because they make noise anyway and see no consequences of their disrespect for the law.

Maybe the cumbersome procedure for pursuing the matter is the problem. An individual disturbed is expected to approach the person making the noise for dialogue on the matter. If the noise persists, he/she should write to the metropolitan, municipal or district assembly and copy the EPA. What the EPA does after receiving such complaint is to come to the location with equipment/machines to monitor the situation with the view to finding out if the noise being made is permissible. Once it establishes that the noise is indeed unacceptable, it writes to the person making the noise. If he does not stop, it then sends the matter to court.

But the inactiveness of the assemblies in checking noise making is also a factor. They have bye laws that prohibit noise making.

So with all these laws, why do the assemblies look on while such noise goes on?

The general attitude of Ghanaians towards noise may mean that noise making would be part of us for a long time to come if something drastic such as what the Ashanti Regional Minister did at the weekend is not pursued.
It is a good thing that he involved the police. And he has the right to a good night’s sleep. The talking is enough now. For those of us who have been at the receiving end of this senseless noise, we commend the minister for his bold and swift action. Let us see more action like what the minister did if that is what it will take to bring some sanity into the system. After all there is a saying in Akan that s3 ensuo taa aponkyereni aa ogyi woo.

Writer’s E-mail: doreen.hammond@graphic.com.gh/aamakai@rocketmail.com