Politicians in Oyo State have been warned by the state’s Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA) against indiscriminate pasting of campaign posters and banners.
While congratulating those who emerged as candidates of their various parties, the Director General of the agency, Pastor Yinka Adepoju, at a press conference on Thursday, said it was mandatory for political campaigners to seek OYSAA’s approval before displaying advertising materials.
“Before displaying any advertising material such as banners, posters, billboards, it is mandatory that they obtain Agency`s approval and also make payment for whatever structures they intend to use during the electioneering campaigns as failure to do so will attract appropriate sanctions,” he warned.
He frowned at “the indiscriminate way in which posters and banners were pasted and displayed on fence walls, highway round-abouts, public buildings, monuments and city landmarks by some politicians and other stakeholders during the last political primary election exercise a couple of months ago.”
He regretted that many of those illegal banners, and makeshift billboards “debased our beautiful environment thus constituting an eye-sore and serious embarrassment to the government, citizens and visitors to the state.”
“This is totally unacceptable” he stressed, warning that “future violators shall be severely dealt with especially now that we have cleaned up the environment at huge cost to government”.
Mr. Adepoju also stated that billboards that do not conform with the agency’s established ethics and standards will be removed without recourse to owners and confiscated by the agency.
He appealed to advertisers, organisations and outdoor publicity practitioners who are indebted to the agency to pay up their dues within a period of two weeks to avoid having their structures removed and confiscated.
Appealing to those concerned to ensure prompt payment of their advertisement taxes, Adepoju disclosed that in line with the state government’s Urban Renewal programme, OYSAA as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, will give “exclusive rights” to those interested in branding public places like parks and gardens, markets, roundabouts, garages, stadia, bus shelters, street directional signs and street light poles; upon payment of agreed fees.
He called on corporate organizations, institutions, professional bodies, advertisers and other interested bodies to take advantage of the opportunity.
Credit: newspeakonline.com
