Addressing journalists in Benin City, the state capital on Wednesday, the Deputy Director of Media and Publicity for the Edo chapter of PDP Campaign Management Council and Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the report is the handiwork of mischief makers.
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as laughable and embarrassing, the reports that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led state government banned billboard owners from accepting advert campaign projects from opposition parties in the state.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, the state capital on Wednesday, the Deputy Director of Media and Publicity for the Edo chapter of PDP Campaign Management Council and Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the report is the handiwork of mischief makers.
Nehikhare said, "The Edo State Government is not unreasonable in its approach to governance by withholding opportunities for a proper democratic process. In Edo, freedom is given to the opposition to express themselves."
According to him, the government only had the foresight to pay billboard agents ahead of the official kick-off of campaigns.
Nehikhare noted, "It's not a coincidence that the elections are around the corner. As far back as a few months ago, Edo State Government discussed with all billboard owners to make payments for quite a number of billboards in the Benin metropolis.
"We did not take possession because we were waiting for the campaign to kick off and if anybody has gone to a billboard agent to pay for a billboard, the person who pays first and is given a date for when his account will start to run is actually the legal owner of that billboard.
"We, as a party, raised the money for these billboards so they are a property of the Edo PDP. We were more strategic in planning and took advantage of the time to make payments for most of the billboards. If a billboard agent has taken money from you and cannot post your advert, you should go back and get your money because we paid for them. We have no apologies for anyone who didn't have the foresight to do it.
"It is very embarrassing when people carry sensational headlines like Edo State bans other parties from using billboards."
He added, "The Edo State Government is not a gangster and does not act like the APC. In Lagos state, that happens, but in Edo, such can't happen. We do not own billboards; we are not agents of billboards. What we do is to have policies in place to ensure they are not causing a nuisance in our streets by controlling where the billboards are located."