[size=14pt]RCCG moves to control traffic on Lagos-Ibadan road[/size]

on December 14, 2012 at 12:40 am in News

By SAM EYOBOKA & YINKA LATONA

ORGANISERS of the 15th annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, are making arrangement to contain the surging traffic expected today at the Redemption Camp, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, as the church hosts the flagship of the event, the Holy Ghost Service with millions of persons expected from all over the world.

On a daily basis since the Congress started on Monday, the crowd has been building up but today, the church in collaboration with detachments of security personnel drawn from various formations including men of the Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and several traffic control officers from Lagos and Ogun states would be on duty to control the unprecedented crowd expected today.

The traffic and security committee has sent to all parishes of the church the outline on movement within the camp ground, to make worshipers stay comfortable and ensure free-flow of traffic in and out of the camp ground during the programme.

Feelers from the church last night indicate that the authorities had fully prepared to control the traffic as it has put modalities on ground to ensure free flow of traffic during the programme but, another source within the church told our reporter that a lot would depend on the attitude of the motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to the source, the attitude of motorists has actually been responsible for chaotic traffic situation often experienced on the road, saying therefore that motorists should obey instructions from the security agents on the road and there will be free-flow of traffic.

“There might be a little delay because of the huge number of motorists but at the end of the day it would every motorist to exercise some patient and obey instructions of the traffic controllers,” the official stated, adding that thousands of volunteers of the church would be joining forces with the FRSC officials on duty.

In addition, the church has instituted strict security checks to forestall any form of security breach during the today’s programme. Except for special guests who are expected to carry dully accepted car stickers, nobody will be expected to drive near the Arena. Other dignitaries without official car stickers are expected to park their cars in the designated car parks and walk to the Holy Ghost Arena.

A source close to the church said last night that accredited journalists who are coming in to the camp, are expected to park their cars at reasonable distance and board the church’s official vehicle to the Arena.

In his welcome address, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the church, noted that the programme which was tagged: “Signs and Wonders” was specially put together by God for divine surprises, noting that nothing is too difficult for God.

He said, “as expected, there will be so many people at this congress but God can reach you personally. Your miracles are around the corner. Just trust the Lord and diligently wait upon Him. There will be a time to teach from the word of God, a time to preach, a time to pray and a time for personal ministrations during the morning and evening sessions.

“There will also be teachings on marriage, home management, business, career and related issues of day-to-day living by experts in various fields during the afternoon sessions.”

Since its debut in 1998, every edition of the congress has had its unique offerings.

pappilo:

I donk know what obtains in the US but here in the UK you will hardly find anything situated right on the motorway. Even if it is situated in close proximity to the motorway it will only back up onto the motorway and you will have to take a slip road and still travel many miles before getting to an entrance. On Lagos - Ibadan, the entrance to Redemption camp is right there on the expressway!

Ola one:
Thanks.
Naptu, this is another long-term measure to curb it.

Let them travel miles, close the entrance.

debosky: @vannity

You're only partly correct. If Rihanna's organisers don't meet the terms of TfL they won't hold their event, e.g. They won't hold such a concert at [size=18pt]Wembley the same day Arsenal[/size] is playing at the Emirates to avoid congestion.

The churches are not doing enough to alleviate the issues. Simply embarking on expansion putting further pressure on stretched facilities is inconsiderate of other road users. Why dont they influence govt to fix the road? After all they influenced the govt to give them billions in import waivers to import material used to build these same structures.

Ola one: The whole thing is disgusting, really.

In Nigeria, I always try my best to stay in areas where churches and mosques are not in the vicinity. And this sort of areas are usually exclusive which means you have to pay heavily or rely on some breadwinner to provide. It is really crazy. Churches have vigils on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays causing unimaginable discomfort to people. One wonders how their members muster enough energy/strength for their endless services.

Mosques, on their part, are in the habit of blasting AHUJA calling out their followers as if these followers live in some Middle-eastern desert/cave where watches with alarm or phones with alarm have not been invented. I mean it costs peanuts to obtain one of these phones why then do they have to disturb our eardrums every f**king day (early in the morning for that matter)?
Who, in this modern day, needs to be reminded it's 5AM for God's sake? And to think those being reminded of the time of their early prayer sessions are grown a*se adults who should ideally be in the know.


It is horrendous and it is also hard to discus this issue without dissing these religions, trust me.

There needs to be an end to this madness.

deeptesting:

The question is did they build the church on the road? Lagos-Ibadan road ought to be dualized to at lease accommodate 10 vehicles on each lane and ensure that all vehicles veering to these churches or whatever maintain a single lane...Where else should they locate this churches? I wish Joe Igbokwe proffered a solution in his write up. It's simply the failure of the government to live upto its responsibility and they should be held responsible for the sufferings and death of Nigerians on that road.

AjanleKoko:

[/i].

The God we worship in Nigeria is truly made in Nigeria, and He Doesn't Give a Damn

Okija_juju:

[b]Please shut up with this government excuse..

Do these churches pay taxes?! So we should use tax payers money to build a 10 lane road to accomodate entities that make trillions of Naira/Dollars every year without remitting 1 cent to the government.

The churches should be held accountable. There is something called social responsibility you know.. The solution is very simple, start by taxing all churches, secondly adjusting the law to remove Churches and places of worship from the 'Charity organization' category and plcae them under a special category where they would be made to pay taxes, forced to pay their organization workers atleast minimum wage and also make them carry out some social responsibility works in the community in which they operate.

Look at Adeboye about to build a 3km lenght/1 billion man capacity church on that same road, do you think that making it a 10-lane road would be able to accomodate the traffic that 1-billion people moving in one direction would cause?!

Please leave the government out of this.. What the government should do really is build a toll plaza on that road.. Yeah!! This would really piss off those churches. By the time their members sleep in traffic for 2 days enroute these churches, attendance would drop automatically..

Or better still, ban roadside parking.. Any car praked on the road would be towed and will only be released for half the value of the car. [/b]

naptu2:

You should report those churches and mosques (and any nightclub, music store, factory, etc that's involved in noise pollution) to Lasepa. They'll make sure they stop the noise, otherwise the church or mosque will be shut down.

https://www.nairaland.com/876166/lagos-shuts-down-lord-chosen

https://www.nairaland.com/943461/lagos-state-shut-down-one

https://www.nairaland.com/1056540/fashola-clerics-tackle-noise-pollution

https://www.nairaland.com/361263/shackled-laws-noise-pollution

https://www.nairaland.com/887421/lagos-demolishes-three-mosques-relocates

https://www.nairaland.com/1171114/79-year-old-lady-sues-redeemed-church

vanitty:


@ ola one : please do they get charged for their fans using the road?

meetmonde: You guyz are busy here ranting nonsense! Free the Church jorh. What about in the north where on fridayz, access roads are blocked and used as prayer ground?? What about in the north where bank staff leaves customer and pray inside the banks? The church has suffered persecution under Paul and other roman soldiers, the jews and pharasees and have thrived. I rest my case

Okija_juju:

[b]Please shut up with this government excuse..

Do these churches pay taxes?! So we should use tax payers money to build a 10 lane road to accomodate entities that make trillions of Naira/Dollars every year without remitting 1 cent to the government.

The churches should be held accountable. There is something called social responsibility you know.. The solution is very simple, start by taxing all churches, secondly adjusting the law to remove Churches and places of worship from the 'Charity organization' category and plcae them under a special category where they would be made to pay taxes, forced to pay their organization workers atleast minimum wage and also make them carry out some social responsibility works in the community in which they operate.

Look at Adeboye about to build a 3km lenght/1 billion man capacity church on that same road, do you think that making it a 10-lane road would be able to accomodate the traffic that 1-billion people moving in one direction would cause?!

Please leave the government out of this.. What the government should do really is build a toll plaza on that road.. Yeah!! This would really piss off those churches. By the time their members sleep in traffic for 2 days enroute these churches, attendance would drop automatically..

Or better still, ban roadside parking.. Any car praked on the road would be towed and will only be released for half the value of the car. [/b]

deeptesting:


I hate when people make comment or post just for the sake of posting...
Now these few questions below arises from your above submission:
1. Who will compel the churches to pay taxes if that will solve the problem?
2. Who will adjust the laws to remove the churches from the category of charity organization?

Is it not the same government that I have placed this burden on its door step?

Though you claim to be a worshiper of our ancestor you are not better than the Christians and Muslims who sees their religious belief as superior to others thus referred to as religious bigots...Now your hatred for Christianity has turned you to a traditional idol worshiper bigot.....I am am Atheist and it is founded on humanity, respect for the rights and privileges of others.

vanitty: It is the responsibility of the government to ensure its road is safe what we cannot do is try to guilt-trip the organisations into taking on the responsibilities of the government just because they are religious organisations.

@ Papillo, just listen to yourself and that is my bugbear about the whole situation, other sensible government plan ahead, no contract WILL be signed until all the terms and conditions are satisfied, our own government just leave everything to chance and see how it goes syndrome!! and when it hits the fan, shift the blame. Why give them planning permission and then lament afterwards.
Other organisations are still been given permission TILL DATE to build in already congested areas, common sense prevailing, aren't their any lessons learnt from that expressway!! 10 years from now, we will be blaming the organisations NOT the government and we expect Nigeria to be better, it is well!

Until the government are held into account and everyone speaks with a voice be you Muslim, Christian, Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba nothing i mean nothing will change, let us all they siddon dey look

Overall responsibility belongs to the government.

Okija_juju:

[b]Yeah! The government is the one to change the laws and enforce them but you and I know that wasnt where you were heading with that post of yours. You wanted the government to build a 10-lane super highway there to ease the traffic congestion brought about by the presence of these churches on that road, but failed to point out that these churches dont pay taxes and dont perform any form of social responsibility acts. You just made a blanket statement of the 'government failing to live up to its responsibility' without telling us what these responsibilities that they didnt live up to are.

Yes I dont think this one is the fault of the government. If Adeboye completes he 3km span auditorium, then all hell will break lose on that road. Infact!! I wonder why the government would even grant him a permit to build such a structure? The HSE risk involved with such projects is already astronomically high. Now from 1 million church capacity to 1 billion.. That road will have the mother of all traffics.

Now the last paragraph of your post makes no sense whatsoever. Where did I say I hated Christianity or other religions in my post?! You even rushed to judge my religion by my moniker, isnt that funny! You being an atheist now makes you better than others abi?! lol! My guy, atheism wasnt founded on the principle of humanity, but rather on the belief that their is no 'Supreme being', which technically is itself a 'belief', cos just like the deists cant prove the existence of a supreme being, so can Atheist not disprove it either... #Geddit?!

_{P.S:: The gods are wise...}

[/b]

deeptesting:


Dude will Adeboye build the 3km church without a building approval from the government? The issue is not with the church but the government that is a slowpoke and dragging its citizens into this mess and we should hold them responsible...The church will have no choice but comply with whatever regulation the government hands over to them because their activities are governed by the law and don't forget the law should not be meant to cripple their activities but to ensure that they carry out there activities without breaching the right of other citizens plying that road