LASAA
The Lagos State Government on Thursday disclosed that it had instituted a legal action against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its affiliate, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), for allegedly violating the state’s outdoor advertising law.
The Lagos State Government on Thursday disclosed that it had instituted a legal action against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its affiliate, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), for allegedly violating the state’s outdoor advertising law.
The state government observed that the strike by the Judicial Staff
Union of Union (JUSUN) had caused a delay in the completion of court
process, even though the process would be finalised immediately after
the union called off the action.
A team of legal advisers of the Lagos State Advertising and Signage
Agency (LASAA) comprising Mrs. Oyeyemi Lekan-Osunmakinde and Mr. Hafiz
Shoremi-Balogun of Priory Terrace Solicitors disclosed this in a
four-paragraph statement yesterday.
The statement said the management of LASAA “has concluded plans to sue
the PDP) and its affiliates for brazen violation of its constitutional
mandate,” noting that the state government had resolved to pursue the
matter to a logical conclusion.
It said the court action was the decision of the agency following “the continued illegal display of campaign materials of the candidates of the PDP on infrastructure within the state without recourse to laws regulating advertisement.
“Works have been concluded on the courts processes and that these would
be filed immediately the JUSUN calls off their industrial action,” they
said.
On Tuesday, the state government had directed a pro-President Goodluck
Jonathan campaign group to remove the president’s campaign materials
from highways and streets, citing the group’s failing comply with its
regulation on outdoor advertising.
The state government explained its directive, which it said, became imperative due to the termination of about N350 million contracts with outdoor agencies duly registered with Lagos Advertising and Signage Agency (LASAA).
The state government explained its directive, which it said, became imperative due to the termination of about N350 million contracts with outdoor agencies duly registered with Lagos Advertising and Signage Agency (LASAA).
At a conference he addressed, the LASAA Managing Director, Mr. George
Noah, directed that if TAN failed to heed the order, its enforcement
team would remove the posters in line with the enabling law setting up
the agency.
Noah said the agency was constrained by recent developments in the
electioneering campaign in Lagos to bring to the fore impunity and
illegality that posed immeasurable and long term damage to those who
erect, operate and maintain billboards in the state.
Noah said the agency had been informed that 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 “has been terminated as a result of the
parallel and illegal deployment of Jonathan campaign materials on poles
paid for by these advertisers. The two advertisers in question are
Chinese Telecoms firm, Huawei and Glo Nigeria and the outdoor agencies
affected are Touch Point Limited and Clearedge Limited. Both agencies
have lost a whopping N350 million.
“The illegal and brazen act by agents of the PDP is unjust,
inconsiderate and therefore unacceptable at a time outdoor advertising
is facing stiff competition from television, radio and social media
“The illegal act by the agents of the PDP is capable of destroying
outdoor agencies in our state. It will almost certainly leads to lay-off
of workers and loss of revenue for our stakeholders,” he stated.
Noah added that in line with the agency’s statutory functions to
regulate and control outdoor in Lagos, the agency hereby “directs the
Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria and its affiliates to remove all
campaign materials illegally deployed on street lamp poles in Lagos
State immediately, failing which our enforcement team will remove same
in line with the enabling law setting up LASAA.
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