Lagos Govt. Didn’t Shut Our Church – Lord’s Chosen

Lord’s Chosen
Charismatic
Revival Ministries has denied stories that the Lagos State Government had
closed the church headquarters located in the Amuwo Odofin Industrial
Estate, for violating environmental laws of the state, saying the church has
not been closed by any government.
In a statement, yesterday, by the church’s Director of Public Relations/
Press, Pastor Louis Chidi, he stated that the church and all her activities
were running as usual, confirming, however, that officials of the Office of
Drainage Services in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment actually gave
notice about a particular facility that did not observe a certain
requirement on the canal.
“Our attention has been drawn to the news being circulated that our
church has been closed by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment. We
wish to state the fact for the interest of our members and general public.
“First the church has not been closed by any government. The church and
all her activities are running as usual.
“The fact is that officials of Lagos State Government from the Office of
Drainage Services in the Ministry of Environment gave notice about a
particular facility that did not observe the required set back from the
canal.
“They therefore asked that the facility should not be used until necessary
amendment is made. We have since complied and the facility reverted to
the former status. Please take note that the church did not stop functioning
because of this as there are many other facilities within the church
premises.
“The second observation raised was the issue of street market that sprang
up at the bus stop. We also want to state that the church never encouraged
street trading within the estate or along its road because on many
occasions it has caused traffic obstruction to those coming into the church
premises.
“The church authority has also repeatedly warned those traders to stop
desecrating the holy ground and several other efforts made to stop the
illegal market were to no avail as most of them claimed to be paying rent
and taxes to the ‘authority.’
“Meanwhile, officials of the task force section of the ministry have already
dispersed the street traders.
“We wish to state emphatically that The Lord’s Chosen Church is a law-
abiding ministry and will remain so in all her activities by the grace of
God. The church was never closed, and above all, the cordial relationship
existing between the state government and the church remains intact.
“We will continue to support and pray for the government of the state, her
citizens and indeed the entire country,” he stated.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Fola
Adeyemi, however stated, yesterday, that the state government’s closure of
the church will continue until its authorities fully comply with the
environmental breaches.
Officials of the Ministry of the Environment had shut the headquarters of
the Lord’s Chosen and Charismatic Revival Church, Ijesha, Oshodi-Apapa
Expressway, Lagos, in the morning of on October 6, 2013, and prevented
worshippers from having their Sunday service usually attended by
thousands of faithful.