They say the calls, made five times a day, have been disturbing residents of the Nyarugenge district, home to the capital’s biggest mosques.

But an official from a Muslim association criticised it, saying they could instead keep the volume down.

Some 1,500 churches have been closed for not complying with building regulations and noise pollution.

The majority of Rwandans are Christian. Muslims make up around 5% of the population.

The government says the Muslim community has complied with the ban.

Analysis: Rwanda’s open secret

Ally Yusuf Mugenzi: Editor of BBC Great Lakes service

To understand the latest round of regulations imposed by Rwandan authorities on religious groups, we have to look back to the 1994 genocide, in which some 800,000 people were killed.

A number of the Roman Catholic churches, where thousands of Tutsis had taken refuge, became killing grounds during the 100-day rampage.

Rwandans lost faith in the powerful institution and gravitated towards Pentecostalism and Islam.

Today’s noise pollution concerns have silenced the loudspeakers on Kigali’s mosques. But it would be wrong to say that Muslims are being targeted. They can still go to mosques and pray five times a day.

The same cannot be said for the Pentecostals.

About 1,500 Pentecostal churches across the country have been closed over the past month, leaving worshippers with nowhere to pray.

This might have something to do with Rwanda’s open secret: the country’s religious denominations are expected to pledge loyalty to the government of long-time President Paul Kagame.

Pentecostal leaders might not be toeing the line.

But the authorities are right to focus on those churches’ disregard for building regulations. Many of them hold noisy services, are badly constructed, situated in residential homes, and are a legitimate health and safety concern.

“I have found that they have begun to respect it and it has not stopped their followers from going to pray according to their praying time,” Havuguziga Charles, a local official from Nyarugenge told the BBC’s Great Lakes service.

This comes as the government continues its clampdown on substandard churches across the East African country.

Most of them were small Pentecostal churches, and one mosque was also closed.

The government says the reason is that some preachers “deceive their congregation with misleading sermons”, AFP reports.

But some preachers have accused the government of trying to control their message to congregants in a country accused by human rights groups of stifling free speech.
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By: BBC

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The Council in a statement available to citifmonline.com cited at least two major offences by the lawyer including overcharging a client, as reasons for its decision.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nFaIdNRmjBKpJoPbhkJ2J3MCyR3r0li7″]It said, within the 3-year period, lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu “shall not hold himself out as a Legal Practitioner or attend Chambers, or render, or purport to render any professional legal service to any person whomsoever, wheresoever.”

Citi News gathered earlier on Saturday [June 3], that the renowned  Human Rights lawyer had been barred from holding himself out as a lawyer but details were not given about what necessitated the action.

But the General Legal Council said lawyer Xavier-Sosu was barred for overcharging a client, one Francis Agyare, when he represented him in a Human Right case in Accra.

According to the General Legal Council, lawyer Sosu charged his client GH¢50,000, which was “excessive” and an “overestimation” for the services rendered, although he [Sosu] had told the client he was offering his legal services for free.

The Council said Mr. Sosu failed to appear before its Disciplinary Committee when he was invited to offer an explanation for his action which was deemed a misconduct.

The Council added that lawyer Xavier-Sosu had flouted its Professional Conduct and Ettiquette rules by advertising his legal firm’s name and address on social media platform, Facebook.

It said lawyer Sosu had confessed guilt in both issues hence the 3-year ban.

“Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts and was sentenced to a period of three (3) years suspension commencing 2^nd day of June, 2017 and ending of 1^st day of June, 2020. He is to be mentored by a senior for a period of one year commencing 2^nd June, 2020 and ending on 1^st June 2021.”

It added that, “the senior to mentor him shall lodge periodic reports on him [lawyer Sosu] to the General Legal Council’s Disciplinary Committee at the end of the every month during the mentorship period.”

‘Francis Sosu’s relationship with Francis Agyare’

Lawyer Francis Xavier-Sosu successfully defended Mr. Francis Agyare, 46, who was unlawfully detained for 14 years without trial to be compensated with GHs200,000.

Mr. Agyare was arrested on January 5, 1994 in James Town in a swoop together with some 56 others.

‘I’ll appeal ban’

Meanwhile, the human rights lawyer, who confirmed the ban to Citi News, has given indications that he will appeal the 3-year ban imposed on him.

He believes the ban is unfair, and thus will challenge it on Monday [June 5, 2017].

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Xavier-Sosu was banned for ‘overcharging’ client – Gen. Legal Council appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Earlier reports alleged that Archbishop had been banned from entering the US after he condemned and refused to officiate a gay wedding.

The Archbishop was quoted as saying gay marriage is “a sin against Bible teachings”.

The reports, further alleged that the State Department condemned him, following his stance.

But the US Embassy in a tweet said “reports that Archbishop had been banned from travelling to the United States are a complete fabrication.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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