From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate, Kachi Nwoga, has protested against the N54 million imposed by the Imo State government before political parties can place billboards and campaigns, ahead of the November 11 poll.
In a letter dated June 7, 2023, and signed by the General Manager of Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency, (IMSAA), Chibuzor Umunnakwe, political parties and their candidates were mandated to deposit the lump sum before they could campaign or place billboards.
The letter, entitled: ‘Schedule of rates and terms for political advertising and ancillary signage displays in Imo State for gubernatorial campaigns’, read in part: “Political candidates intent on deploying outdoor/public displays must obtain, fill and submit the IMSAA application for outdoor political campaign advertisement form.
“A list of proposed billboard sites, including the ones for rental should be indicated in the form or as a separate attached document. If the sites are going to be built by the candidate or supporting parties, these would be treated as temporary structures.
“On approval of the form content, candidates will make the appropriate fee payments as indicated below.
“If IMSAA finds all processes satisfactory, candidates will get a compliance confirmation letter from the agency.”
“Fee: Application form fee is N100,000, Gubernatorial Campaign Permit fee: N54,000,000.”
But, Nwoga, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said the fee was a plot by the Imo State government to stifle the opposition.
“The opposition is not allowed to breathe. I cannot go and put up a billboard today because they are telling me to pay N54 million naira to put up a billboard, it means I cannot put up a billboard.
“I do not know any state anywhere, even if you need to convert it to dollars, nobody can charge this kind of money. It is obscene, it is atrocious, it is sinful. That is what they are asking the opposition to pay.
“And I intend to ask, since the entire state up and down is filled with the billboard of one particular person, I really want to know how much the State has made from that one person,” he said.
He promised to tackle insecurity, youth restiveness by creating jobs.
