Soludo threatens to remove politicians’ billboards, gives two weeks grace on tax

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has threatened to remove all billboards in the state belonging to politicians if they fail to pay tax on them.

Recall that the governor, who before last year’s election claimed he knew where to source funds from across the world, has imposed a number of taxes on Anambra people since his swearing-in.

In the latest press release by the managing director of Anambra State Signage Agency (ANSAA), Tony Ujubuonu, the state government gave two weeks’ notice for all politicians and political parties in the state with billboards to pay up.

Ujubuonu said: “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 had directed all billboard owners to provide the information required to register each billboard and pay up for any campaign.

“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 14th of November to 5th of December. It said after the period, all billboards must have been fully registered and paid for to avoid being pulled down.