ANSAA Goes After Indiscriminate Placement Of Billboards, Posters, Banners

The Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency – ANSAA is to begin on enforcement of laws against unlawful outdoor advertisements across the state this week.

Disclosing this in Awka, the Managing Director of the Agency, Chief Jude Emecheta said many people, especially politicians are not complying with the law regulating such activities. Paul Ezeoke reports that  according to Chief Emecheta , the law establishing the Agency made mandatory for any person wishing to place posters, banners, billboards and any other signage or advertisement materials to get approval from the Agency through lay down processes and payment of specified fees.

He explained that the Agency gives such approval after necessary verifications and accessments to ensure that the areas chosen for the advert materials are conducive without any threat to the environment and structures in the areas.Chief Emecheta regretted that many politicians are today placing posters and billboards indiscriminately without approval and without payment of necessary fees ,noting that landmark projects executed by the state government and other public structures are continually being defaced with such posters and banners.He said the Agency has identified the illegal advert materials, wrote officially to the owners as well as gave them mandatory two weeks to comply and would now not hesitate to allow the law take its full course by enforcing the law, prosecuting and sanctioning defaulters.

Also speaking, an environmentalists Mr Mike Nwadialor said protection of the environment is a collective responsibility of everybody and stressed that people should avoid acts that could create sense of disorderliness and abuse of public places.