AMA cracks whip: sanctions 10 evangelists for going against bye-laws on noisemaking.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has sanctioned 10 street preachers and five traders who use public address systems (PSAs) in plying their trades in the Central Business District of Accra. They are alleged to have breached the AMA Abatement of Noise Bye-Law 2017.
"Public Health Officers of the Assembly issued the notices on Friday, July 15, 2022 when they stormed the CBD to enforce the Abatement of Noise Bye-Law," a report on ama.gov.gh said.
The Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, who spoke about the development, said that the Ghana Standards Protection Requirement for Ambient Noise Control Code GS 122: 2018, specifies that the permissible noise level within commercial areas should be 75 decibels (dbs) during the day and 65dbs during the night, whilst areas with residential, trading, and light industrial activities should be 60dbs during the day and 65dbs during the night.
He added that under Section 9 of the AMA Abatement of Noise Bye-Law, public preachers were expected to obtain a street preaching permit from the AMA, which mandates them to go about their activities from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. with adherence to the permissible noise level.
Under the bye-law, churches or religious institutions conducting services shall not allow music to be played or to preach at a service so loud as to cause disturbances to residents in an area, adding that such services must be between 5 am and 10 pm, according to AMA website.
Nii Ankrah is quoted to have said: "A person shall not within 100 metres of a hospital, clinic or other places used for the treatment of sickness or public library, blow any musical instrument. The horn of a motor vehicle shall also not make unnecessary noise."
He disclosed that the assembly is poised to clamp down on noisemaking in its catchment area, so it procured new dosimeters for that purpose.
He warns, people who go against the bye-laws commit an offence and are liable to a fine of not more than 100 penalty units.