The Lagos State Government on Tuesday warned the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, against plans to arrest its officials, insisting that it would continue with the removal of posters pasted in unauthorised public spaces.
The state government, consequently declared zero tolerance for the indiscriminate pasting of posters on highways, high streets and major roads, which it said would be removed by the enforcement officials of the state Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA).
The agency’s Managing Director, Mr. George Noah, said this at a news conference held atAlausa, warning the state police commissioner against his plan to arrest LASAA officials carrying out their statutory duties or face the wrath of the law.
The police commissioner had on Monday, disclosed plan to arrest LASAA workers who attempt to remove billboards or posters of candidates of the various political parties even if such was illegally deployed.
But Noah said the guidelines on the use of election campaign materials for the 2015 general election were issued in line with the agency’s responsibilities as provided under its enabling law, which regulates and controls outdoor signage, advertisements and hoardings in the state.
The managing director explained that the agency organised a town hall meeting with all political parties in the state and gave them the guidelines in accordance with the LASAA law, 2006 (as amended).
He said the agency “has not been selective in the way it discharges its statutory responsibilities. Its staff members always remove posters from undesignated spaces irrespective of political and party affiliations.
“It will not stop carrying out its statutory responsibility of removing election campaign materials indiscriminately placed at unauthorised places in the state. It will be unlawful for the police to arrest any LASSA staff for carrying out their lawful duty.”
Noah said the agency had published guidelines for deploying electoral materials in four national dailies in addition to a town hall meeting it convened with all the political parties where the guidelines were presented to them.
He said the removal of posters that deface the environment “is our statutory obligation. The agency is therefore baffled that the Nigerian police responsible for enforcing the laws of this nation is by the statement encouraging and expressly supporting the flagrant disregard and contravention of environmental guidelines issued to all political parties.”
Noah accused the police of an attempt to intimidate staff of the agency, saying election materials not properly deployed or that which violates the agency’s guidelines will be removed regardless of the threat.
He added that in spite of the cordial discussion at the meeting, he was surprised at the tone of the police commissioner at the press conference where he categorically threatened to arrest the agency’s staff.
“The police commissioner and I had a very cordial discussion and I tried to explain to him how we operate, but since their statement has been predesigned, it did not matter what we discussed,” he said.
Noah urged politicians to be more creative in the way they go about creating awareness, adding that it will be surprising that it in the course of doing their job police will arrest staff.
Noah revealed that over 100,000 political posters are illegally deployed in the state on a daily basis, adding that removal of these materials has been based on fairness and equality among all stakeholders.
“Our guidelines have been issued without prejudice to any individual, political party, association or aspirant and our intention is to ensure fairness and equality among all concerned stakeholders while judiciously preserving the integrity of our environment and applying the rules without sentiment or bias,” the agency boss stated.
He said there are 727 billboards approved by LASAA in the state out of which the agency owns just 26 for creating awareness for the state government. LASSA Managing Director enjoined political parties and candidates to approach the outdoor advertising agencies in order to use their space for creating awareness.”
Noah declared zero tolerance for pasting of posters indiscriminately in the state, noting that advertisement regulatory agencies of other countries like Kenya and Cameroon “have approached them in order to replicate the successes recorded so far in their countries.”
Source: Thisday
