The Lagos State Government has ordered President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign groups, including the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, to remove the President’s campaign materials illegally mounted on street lamp posts in the state.
The Managing Director, Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency, George Noah, said if those concerned failed to heed the order, the agency’s enforcement team would remove them in line with the enabling law.
Noah spoke in Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday, saying LASAA, due to certain developments in electioneering campaigns, had decided to tell the public about the impunity and illegality that “posed immeasurable and long term damage to those who erect, operate and maintain billboards in the state”.
Noah said, “In the last 48 hours, two advertisers in the outdoor sector had terminated multi-million naira contracts with outdoor agencies registered by LASAA to operate in the state.”
He stated that the contracts were terminated as a result of parallel and illegal mounting of Jonathan’s campaign materials on posts paid for by the advertisers.
“The two advertisers in question are a Chinese telecoms firm, Huawei, and Globacom. The outdoor agencies affected are Touch Point Limited and Clearedge Limited. Both agencies have lost N350m.
“The illegal and brazen act by agents of the Peoples Democratic Party is unjust, inconsiderate and therefore unacceptable at a time outdoor advertising is facing stiff competition from television, radio and the social media.
“The illegal act is capable of destroying outdoor agencies in our state. It will almost certainly lead to lay-off of workers and loss of revenue for our stakeholders,” Noah said.
He added that in line with the agency’s statutory functions to regulate and control outdoor advertisement in Lagos, the illegal posters must go.
“LASAA hereby directs the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria and its affiliates to remove all campaign materials on street lamp posts in Lagos State immediately, failing which our enforcement team will remove same in line with the enabling law setting up LASAA,” Noah said.
He also alleged that the PDP agents had been removing the advert materials of Glo on poles, which the telecom company paid for, to replace them with Jonathan’s materials.
Noah further alleged that policemen usually gave the PDP agents backing, adding that the police had withdrawn the policemen attached to the agency.