Ebonyi State House of Assembly has directed the immediate termination of all existing contracts for political billboards and posters within Abakaliki, the state capital, while fixing a levy of N150 million for presidential and governorship aspirants.
The House also mandated the Commissioner for Capital City Development to take over the enforcement and collection of all levies relating to political billboards and posters in the capital city.
The resolutions followed a Motion of Urgent Public Importance moved by the Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman of the House Committee on Capital City Development, Hon. Arinze Lucas Chukwu, representing Ishielu South Constituency.
Moving the motion, Chukwu condemned the indiscriminate pasting of political posters and erection of billboards on public buildings, electric poles, streetlights, bridges and fences across Abakaliki.
He described the practice as a form of environmental pollution that defaced the city’s aesthetic appeal and deprived the state of internally generated revenue (IGR).
According to him, the multiplicity of agencies claiming responsibility for collecting billboard levies had created confusion, revenue leakages and double taxation.
He noted that existing laws empowered the Commissioner for Capital City Development to regulate outdoor advertising within the capital territory.
Under the new arrangement, any political party, aspirant, group, organisation or individual intending to erect billboards or paste posters within Abakaliki must pay the approved levy into a designated government revenue account and obtain an official receipt before proceeding.
The approved levies are N150 million for presidential and governorship aspirants, N20 million for National Assembly aspirants and N5 million for State House of Assembly aspirants.
The House further resolved that the commissioner should designate approved centres for poster pasting and billboard erection and establish a task force to remove materials displayed without proof of payment.
Defaulters will also be required to pay a penalty of 50 per cent of the original levy.
The Assembly directed the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Service to terminate immediately all contracts, concessions and arrangements with private consultants or agents for the collection of political billboard and poster levies within the capital city.
The agency was also directed to hand over all relevant files, data and authority to the Commissioner for Capital City Development.
Seconding the motion, the member representing Ivo Constituency, Hon. Onyebuchi Ogbadu, said the resolution would restore order in the capital city and boost the state’s revenue.
The House mandated its committees on Capital City Development, Finance and Environment to monitor compliance and submit a report within 30 days.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa, subsequently put the motion to a vote, and it was unanimously adopted.
In a separate development, the Assembly approved Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s request to obtain a loan facility of N9,673,332,008.06 from Keystone Bank Limited to meet the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) counterpart funding requirement.
The governor’s letter, read on the floor by the House Leader, Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, stated that the facility was intended for the state government and local government councils.
According to the letter, Keystone Bank agreed to provide the loan at an annual interest rate of 17 per cent, alongside a management or commitment fee of 0.5 per cent.
Ikoro urged lawmakers to consider the request urgently in the interest of educational development in the state.
Contributing to the debate, the member representing Ohaozara East, Hon. Igu Chikezie Nwankwo, and his counterpart representing Ikwo North, Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu, described the facility as critical to advancing access to education.
Following deliberations, the lawmakers unanimously approved the governor’s request.
I recently saw some neighbors running away from a young man who was having an…
Although I have been able to drop 6 kg from my weight through a combination…
A friend of mine, a 35-year old lady who is not pregnant recently noticed milk…
Kindly let me know which is healthier between hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs.
Many electricity consumers in Nigeria face unexpected power cut-offs or heavy fines without understanding what…
According to career reports from industry research platforms like Zippia, up to 85% of all…
This website uses cookies.