Where are the real Information Centres? I mean the ones which are there for the benefit of the community and good information. I am not talking about the ones which are there for the benefit of the profits of the proprietor. I wonder and ponder over how many information centres are all about making money and nothing else?
I know that the local so called information centre in my area makes 10 GHC an hour from paid advertising. No wonder then that the owner blasts us for seven and a half or so hours a day and more, every day, seven days per week, month after month, year after year. This goes on and on except when the power fails. Oh how we love it when that happens during the blasting and broadcast times.
I wonder what your community is like? Does your health suffer because your local information centre cares more about making money than your health and wellbeing and that of your children?
Do you realise that heart disease can be caused by noise? Do you know that noise can stifle the reading, learning and education of your children? Do you know that noise can cause birth defects? Do you know that noise can kill people?
Indeed the medical science is there to convince any reasonable thinking person that noise is very dangerous.
Causing harm to people intentionally and unlawfully is a second degree felony, and causing harm to a person negligently and unlawfully is a misdemeanour, according to the Criminal Code. So wouldn’t you think that causing harm to someone, no matter if it was by using a gun or by noise, would attract assistance from the authorities? Well, death by gun certainly does but death by noise seems not to even get a raised eyebrow even though the deadly outcome is the same.
Noise is a silent killer according to the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organisation. It is so silent that its noise kills and no one hears or even seems to be interested.
Let’s now go to less dramatic areas of the criminal code. Just think about item (7) below. There’s a fine for someone who continues to make a noise after they have been warned. The question remains: Who is going to fine them? From my experience it just doesn’t happen. Apathy and harm reign and no one seems to care or bother doing anything about it!
The following is from the Criminal Code:
Nuisances and Obstructions in Streets, and the like
Section 296—Throwing Rubbish in Street.
Whoever does any of the following acts shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ¢200,000 namely—
Causing Noise in Town.
(7) in any town wilfully or wantonly, and after being warned to desist, makes any loud or unseemly noise howsoever caused to the annoyance or disturbance of any person;
Drumming, etc., in Town at Night.
(8) in any town, without a licence in writing from the Minister or a local authority beats or plays any drum, gong, tom-tom, or other similar instrument of music between eight o’clock at night and six in the morning;
