The Delta State Signage and Advertising Agency (DESAA) has explained why it embarked on the removal of unapproved and derelict billboards in Warri South Local Government Area of the state.
DESAA in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Igere Enite, stated that it has become imperative that unapproved and structurally deficient billboards are removed from public spaces as they portend potential harm to pedestrians.
According to the statement, the Chief Operations Officer, DESAA, Mr. Victor Umoh, led the team that commenced the operation of the removal of illegal billboards on the NPA axis of the Warri Sapele Road.
“The team them proceeded to the Ogbe Ijoh Market area before moving on to Angle Park and the popular Okumagba Avenue Roundabout which were clustered with billboards.
“The operation was initially resisted by youths in the area but after deliberations, the Okumagba Roundabout was de-clustered of some of the billboards,” the statement reads.
According to the statement also, Mr Umoh stated that since more than ninety percent of billboards in the Warri and Effurun axis were not approved by DESAA the regulatory Agency, the structural integrity of the billboards cannot be guaranteed.
He frowned at the practice where the Third Party/Billboard business has become an all comers affair leading to the city being littered with all manner of boards with the 100 metres spacing regulation of the Agency not being adhered to.
This development he said negatively affects the beauty of the city. Mr. Umoh further stated that the government of Delta State is losing millions of Naira in internally generated revenue as a result of the refusal of illegal practitioners in the industry to regularize their operations.
The Chief Operations Officer listed the conditions for being registered as an outdoor practitioner in Delta State to include membership of the Advertisers Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); evidence of company registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC); payment of DESAA Registration fee of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) only as gazetted under the law setting up DESAA by the Delta State Government; and evidence of tax clearance for the previous three years.
Mr. Umoh stated that this is the first phase as the team will return to remove other illegal structures still standing.
He advised the owners of such billboards to remove them on their own to avoid them being confiscated by DESAA.
He stated that billboards that had advertorials of traditional rulers in the area were not removed as a mark of respect for the traditional institution.
“The exercise also saw the removal of billboards from the popular Airport Road where the team was attacked by hoodlums but for the intervention of the security team that took care of the situation,” the statement added.
