The governor gave the ultimatum through the Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA), warning that any political party or candidate who fails to meet the given deadline will have the billboards defaced. He said such politicians or parties will also be made to face legal action.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has given politicians and political parties contesting for various positions in the 2023 general elections two weeks to complete payment for their campaign posters mounted on billboards across the state.
The governor gave the ultimatum through the Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA), warning that any political party or candidate who fails to meet the given deadline will have the billboards defaced. He said such politicians or parties will also be made to face legal action.
Governor Soludo earlier made it compulsory for candidates and their political parties to pay the sum of N10 million for the presidential campaign, N7.5 million for the senatorial campaign, N5 million for the Federal House of Representatives campaign and N1 million for the State House of Assembly campaign.
According to a statement by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ANSAA, Mr. Tony Ujubuonu, the ultimatum will end on December 5, 2022.
The statement made available to newsmen in Awka, the state capital read, “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 letter addressed to both OAAN and registered Non-OAAN Practitioners, the agency has taken major steps towards sanitizing outdoor advertising practice in the State through ban on individuals, clients and government agencies ownership of billboards in the State.
“Having done this, the Agency expected maximum cooperation from the practitioners in terms of registering their billboards and payment of campaigns but are yet to get such.
“As a result of the above, 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 release, 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 been given a two weeks grace to make such payments or face a legal enforcement.
“It has also gotten 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.
“This lasts between 14th November and 5th of December.
“It's 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 starts immediately.”