2023: Soludo Gives Obi Ultimatum To Clear Debts For Campaign Billboards, Posters

Gov Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, weekend, gave Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, a two-weeks’ ultimatum to clear the backlog of debts he owes the state for his campaign posters and billboards across the state.

Aside Obi, the state Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA) also gave the same ultimatum to other candidates and parties whose posters and billboards dot some parts of the stae.

This was contained in a statement by the managing director of the agency, Tony Odili Ujubuonu.

According to the statement, “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.”

The letter stated that the agency was taken steps towards sanitizing outdoor advertising practice in the state.

It read in part, “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 given a two-week 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 to 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.”