January 28, 2015 – Over a thousand outdoor advertisers and officials of the Lagos State Signage and Outdoor Advertising Agency(LASAA) today took to the street in Lagos protesting illegal display of posters and banners by politicians and their loyalists.
All dressed in white shirts, the aggrieved officials and workers of various advertising agencies, matched through Mobolaji Bank Way down to Maryland, to draw attention to their plight.
Armed with various banners and placards such as “Outdoor industry is dying ;Enough is enough; Enough of impunity; No to intimidation; We say no to lawlessness; Don’t destroy: The law must be obeyed”, among others, they decried what they described as “illegalities, impunity, intimidation and disrespect for rule of law,” by politicians.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Lagos State Advertising Agency (LASAA), George Noah, said the protest was to condemn the reign of impunity that is ongoing.
Noah, who led the protest, said the action, especially by the PDP, is illegal and inconsiderate on the group just doing their honest day job.
He said the people of Lagos State must recognise that the law gives LASAA the authority to control and regulate outdoor businesses in the State, adding that they shall therefore continue to fight for the right of all practitioners and stakeholders in the outdoor business.
“We are telling them that you cannot come to Lagos State with impunity and disturb business of honest hardworking men and women, who toil day and night to ensure that they make a decent living.
“We are telling them that Lagosians are watching them. They think that in the name of electioneering, they can come, cheat people and break the law because they want people’s vote. Lagosians are watching them and they can decide. Today, outdoor advertisers say no to impunity,” Noah said.
He said that PDP loyalists and men of the Federal Task Force have been busy mounting posters on streetlight poles already paid for by some companies.
Noah added that there was never a time the ruling party had consulting the agency for advert space, saying it amounts to gross impunity to just take posters and banners to the streets and on lap poles erected and maintained by the State government without permission.
“It is bad business. At a time we in this country are trying to attract foreign investments, we are sending bad signals to foreign investors because we are telling them that even if you sign contract, a government or political party can come and decide against it. That is the dangerous signal we are sending,” he said.
One of the protesters, Kehinde Abatan said that the implication of the cancelled contracts was already felt in their offices, even as the fear of downsizing is mounting as the month comes to an end.
