Delta Goes After Unauthorised Political Billboards

Delta State government has threatened to confiscate unauthorized political billboards while those responsible for the structures will be made to face prosecution.

The state Signage and Advertisement Agency (DESAA) cautioned registered outdoor advertising practitioners and business entities involved in outdoor political advertising in the state to desist from indiscriminate installation of unauthorized billboards across the state.

Findings disclosed that DESAA would immediately commence a massive state-wide enforcement activity to remove any unauthorized billboard and that it would not entertain further indiscriminate installation of billboards and sign posts around the state without the proper approval.

While threatening that any such would be visited with the full weight of the law, it warned that failure to comply with the directive would render such billboards eligible for removal and confiscation and those responsible for the structures would be made to face prosecution.

Corroborating, the director of Information, Ministry of Information, Mrs Theresa Oliko, reminded outdoor advertising practitioners, businesses and political actors in the state that there were regulations/guidelines on the installation of billboards and placements of political advertisements in Delta State.

She said the regulations ranged from the vetting of the adverts by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to the approval of structures and placement of billboards by DESAA before a billboard could be installed.

The director emphasised that the adherence to the laid down guidelines was to ensure a peaceful political campaign environment and also to ensure that the beauty of the state and safety of its citizens were not compromised.

She called on the public, outdoor advertising practitioners, business owners, political parties and politicians that had erected unauthorized political billboards in Delta State to remove them immediately.