Anambra Govt Threatens to Remove Politicians’ Billboards over Tax, Gives 2 Weeks Grace

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Anambra State has threatened to remove all billboards in the state belonging to politicians if they fail to pay the stipulated tax on them.
The state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has been noted for his tax drive in the state since his swearing in.

He had previously visited tricycle operators, bus drivers, market traders and several other groups with taxes that had been protested against as being too high.
But in a latest press release by the state government through the Managing Director of Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA), Mr. Tony Ujubuonu, government gave a two-week notice for all politicians and political parties in the state with billboards to pay up.

Ujubuonu stated: “We have given two weeks notice to all political parties and their candidates to ensure they have paid for all their campaign billboards or meet the wrath of the agency.

“Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency through a letter dated 14th November, 2022, urged all Out-Of-Home Advertising Practitioners in the State to revalidate and register all their billboards in the State.”

He added that the agency has directed all billboard owners to provide the information required to register each billboard and also pay up for any campaign on them.

“It has also gotten to the knowledge of the agency that some political party candidates are erecting billboards on their own ignorantly.
“The agency wants to state that this is not only wrong, but illegal and any such billboard would be brought down without any notice, the structure seized permanently and auctioned.”

The agency gave the grace period to last between November 14th to December 5th.
It said after the period, all billboards must have been fully registered and paid for, to avoid being pulled down.