Election 2015: Lagos advert agency gives guidelines on pasting of posters

The Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency, LASAA, has released a set of guidelines for the use of election campaign materials in the state ahead of the 2015 elections.

The Managing director of LASAA, George Noah, said the guidelines are issued in accordance with the Agency’ s responsibility as provided under the Structure for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law of 2006.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported on how some officials of the Lagos State government were ‎violating the LASAA law on pasting of posters.

The officials include the Speaker of the state house of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and the state commissioner for works, Obafemi Hamzat.

Other politicians whose posters flood the major ways of Lagos are APC presidential aspirants, Atiku Abubakar and Nda Isaiah.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Lagos on Friday morning, the Managing director of LASAA, George Noah, reiterated this, saying political aspirants have been deploying and using campaign materials illegally and indiscriminately.

In the guidelines, LASAA stated that ‎billboards and wall drapes “may only be deployed on existing structures owned and operated by Outdoor Advertising Practitioners who are registered with the agency and have obtained permits for such site and structure”.

The agency also stated that posters “may only be deployed on designated surfaces on inner streets only and are not to be deployed on highways, major roads and high streets”.

“Banners may only be deployed on inner roads and streets only if the banner is attached to the wall of a particular building limited to ‎inner streets and not to be tied to poles or public utilities”.

LASAA urged political parties within the state to use other creative and innovative platforms including stick in the ground, billboards, mobile A-frames, wall drapes and mobile adverts.

‎Speaking also at the meeting, the head of monitoring and compliance of LASAA, Yinka Adedeji, urged political parties to comply with the guidelines to avoid removal of the posters and in turn waste of resources.

Ms. Adedeji said the penalty for failing to comply with the guidelines‎ would be the “removal of political campaign materials without recourse to the owners”.

‎The Lagos State Electoral Commission, Justice Fatai Adeyinka, in his short remark, said political parties must obey guidelines set by LASAA.

“The political parties should know we are in full support of political messages, but the parties must adhere strictly by the guidelines by the advertisement agency” he noted.