Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has clarified that he banned noise pollution and not evangelism.

He made the clarification amid the backlash he received after a video of him confronting an unidentified street preacher in a market last Saturday went viral

In the footage, the governor ordered the preacher to stop causing a disturbance, reminding him of the law against noise pollution. He advised him to take his preaching to a church or a designated space, warning that violators risked a fine of N500,000.

Reacting to the backlash he received, the governor in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, dismissed claims of banning evangelism, insisting that Soludo’s remarks had been misinterpreted.

“The Anambra State Government wishes to address the misconstrued reports surrounding Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s recent encounter with an itinerant preacher at Onitsha Market.

The governor’s remarks were wrongly interpreted as a ban on evangelism, whereas his concern was solely about noise pollution, which is prohibited under an existing public health law.”

Mefor explained that Soludo was enforcing the Anambra State Public Health Law 2006, which prohibits excessive noise in public places, including markets.

“To clarify, the governor referenced the Public Health Law 2006, which forbids noise pollution and preaching in inappropriate places like markets using loudspeakers. He advised preachers to conduct their activities in churches or designated locations where people can willingly participate without disrupting others’ daily activities,” the statement added

The commissioner further cited past legal actions on the issue, noting that in 2019, a magistrate’s court in Nnewi upheld the law against a church that violated noise pollution regulations.

 “The public is therefore advised to disregard any claims suggesting that Governor Soludo has banned evangelism or public preaching in Anambra State. Instead, we urge citizens to comply with the Public Health Law and respect the rights of others,” he said