Stakeholders Mobilise Mass Action against Illegal Hoardings and Lampposts Posters in Lagos

By Wole David

Stakeholders in Out-of-Home business in Lagos today commenced mass action against what they described as ‘impunity in the business of outdoor’ with a rally that commenced at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, by the roundabout that connects Ikeja Government Reservation Area (GRA), Muritala Mohammed/local airport, Oba Akran Avenue and Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way through to Maryland.

Speaking with the press, Mr. Nelson Ekunjimi, a civil right activist says, “The real challenge is that the Nigeria people have come out today to say no to impunity.

“There is a law governing outdoor advertising in Lagos state and if we are a people that really understand democracy and want to be recognized as law abiding citizen not only in Nigeria but all over the world, we must learn to obey the law.

“What is happening with regards to outdoor advertisement is an aberration. It is an illegality by some elements who have claimed that because they have the federal power that they can ride roughshod other layers of government anywhere.

Nelson concludes that “What we are witnessing is a democratic walk to say no to impunity because we have seen situations whereby there is a threat to the economic and fundamental human right of Lagosians because there is a law which says LASAA, a creation of the laws of Lagos state which is part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that it should regulate outdoor advertisement so as to maintain sanity and safety on our roads, and to avoid environmental degradations and nuisance.”

Other participants identified at the peaceful rally, wearing white tops over black pant/skirt, guided by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authourity (LASTMA), includes outdoor agency owners and their staff, several civil society group representatives and Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) staff and some of its management staff, including its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. George Noah.

The protesters moved through the Bank Anthony Way, through the Police College, the Nigerian Army Barracks up to Maryland junction by Ikorodu road where George Noah and other stakeholders addressed the placard carrying audience.

In an exclusive interview with MARKETING EDGE during the march, a leading member of the team who identified himself as Shina Loremikan, member, Committee for the Protections of the People’s Mandate says, “You can see part of what we are saying on this road (pointing to lamp post with multiple banners and hanger posts on Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Road).

“Usually, when you have a client’s advertisement, you don’t place it side by side, on the same pole with another competitor. It is like when you have Nigeria Breweries beer advertisement material, you don’t place Guinness beer material side by side it because they are in the same business. In the same way, you don’t expect a Buhari/APC and Jonathan/PDP placed side by side on the same lamp post.

“If any professional from a decent environment comes to Nigeria, they will be laughing at us. They will be wondering how two political parties are placed on the same pole. Beyond that, when you see the way the materials are hanged on the poles, you can see an evidence of lack of professionalism. You see the banners are falling off.To us, it is an abuse to the ethics of practice.

“Moreover, these attitudes will likely or rather I think, deliberately planned to cause breakdown of law and order in Lagos. All effort to encourage the law enforcement agencies to intervene has been fruitless.

“What is left is for the stakeholders to go on the street themselves so that before opposing sides degenerate to anarchy and street urchins may start lynching people, we decided to come together and intervene”.

Addressing the protesters at the Maryland/Ikorodu road junction, George Noah says, “We have called this protest today with all stakeholders in the outdoor business in Lagos state comprising engineers, architects, fabricators, printers, lawyers and other stakeholder in the outdoor business sector.

“We have called this protest because of the impunity that already exist in the outdoor business in this state. It is unfair and inconsiderate and above all, illegal. The people of Lagos state that we represent by the virtue of the fact that the law gives LASAA the authority to control and regulate outdoor business in this state which shall continue to fight for the rights of all practitioners and all those who are involved in outdoor business in this state.

“This is just the beginning. We are telling them you cannot come to Lagos with impunity and disrupt the business of honest hardworking men and women who toll day and night to make sure they make a decent living.

Asked on what he classifies as impunity, Noah says, “Impunity in the sense that people pay for street lamp pole and one political party in Abuja, PDP comes in and remove them and put theirs. That is illegal, inconsiderate and should not be allowed to stand.”

Prodded further if LASAA gave consideration to PDP/Jonathan, the CEO says he or his office does not have the simplest of request from PDP/Jonathan Campaign group, not even a call to discuss or request for lamppost. On billboards he says only individual agencies can give a billboard site and that LASAA’s responsibility is limited to regulation of the sector.

To corroborate the situation on ground, Olufemi Ayeola,Malleable Communication says, “I am here to explain to the people that most of the contracts we have going on have been cancelled due to what is happening in the industry right now. We have been in this industry for the past ten years. I have never seen anything like this before. This is the first time that I am experiencing cancellation of contract due to what PDP has done…We are doing this to bring to the attention of the world that something has to be done about this.We want this issue to be addressed legally”.

Yomi Idowu, a supplier to several outdoor companies puts it succinctly, “If you go around you will see the way lampposts are clustered in the name of electioneering. We are saying that we should deviate from that and do it the way they should be done. Nobody will put their money in the situation like this”.