Soludo gives political parties two weeks to pay or have their campaign billboards defaced.

Awka—THE Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency, ANSAA, has given the various political parties and their candidates for the 2023 elections two weeks to pay for the billboards that have been installed across the state or have them defaced.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo had previously complained that some of the billboards were almost obstructing traffic, indicating that his administration is not happy with them.

The ultimatum issued by ANSAA to political parties, which will expire on December 5, 2022, did not come as a surprise.

While announcing the two-week deadline, ANSAA Managing Director Mr. Tony Ujubuonu directed political parties and candidates to ensure they pay for all campaign billboards or face the agency’s wrath.

“The Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency, through a letter dated 14th November 2022, urged all out-of-home advertising practitioners in the state to revalidate and register all their billboards in the state,” according to a statement from the agency.

“The agency has taken major steps towards sanitizing outdoor advertising practice in the state through a ban on individuals, clients, and government agency’s  ownership of billboards.

“Having done this, the agency expected maximum cooperation from the practitioners in terms of registering their billboards and payment of campaigns, but they are yet to comply.

“As a result, the agency has directed all billboard owners to provide the information required to register each billboard and also pay up for any campaign on them.

“Through this statement, the entire political party candidates for the upcoming general elections are urged to make sure those handling their campaigns have made payments to the government to avoid ANSAA defacing their campaign materials.

“The agency has also given a two weeks grace to make such payments or face legal enforcement.

“It has also got to the knowledge of the agency that some political party candidates are  erecting billboards on their own ignorantly. The agency wants to state that this is not only wrong but illegal and any such billboard would be brought down without any notice, the structure seized permanently and auctioned.

“It is the wish of the agency that by the 5th of December 2022, all  billboards in the state must have been duly registered and paid for, as legal enforcement would start after that date”.

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