Osun Commences Signage Enforcement Law

By Abdulrofiu Agboola

The Executive Vice Chairman of Osun State Signage, Hoarding and Advertisement Agency also known as O’Signage, Mrs Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo has said that the agency was ready to commence the enforcement of the signage law in the state.

Addressing pressmen on Tuesday at the Correspondent Chapel, Osogbo, Mrs Gbadebo disclosed that removal and demand notices have been placed on most of the sign boards and bill boards across the state.

Mrs Gbadebo explained that the removal notices placed on the signage might have been done because the owners might have not registered or paid annual dues or the erection not properly done.

Mrs Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo

She, therefore, called on individuals and corporate bodies with such notices to come to signage office to get clearance.

Mrs Gbadebo warned that pasting of posters indiscriminately would no longer be allowed in any part of the state and that only those who register appropriately would be able to make use of the public space for advertisement purposes.

The Osun O’signage Boss admonished those who want to pay for the signage to pay directly to the government account in various banks, saying the agency does not allow its staffers to collect cash from the people so that the funds would not be diverted by any of its officers.

According to Mrs Gbadebo, the state government is most concerned about safety of lives, adding that vision blights do occur as a result of competitive location of several bill boards along roadsides and often result in accidents and loss of lives.

Mrs Gbadebo disclosed that the three core objectives that inform the activities of signage agency are to standardize erection of board and signage in an orderly manner, create environmental aesthetics, encourage and enhance commercial activities making the retailers to benefit more than others.

She also disclosed that the agency is determined to clean the state of all form of posters-religious, social and political in a bid to instill the environmental cleanness expected in the state.

According to her, the cleaning of the posters is devoid of any political or religious insinuations.

She said: “Whether political or religious and any other type of poster or signage, the owners must register with government properly and the agency would guide them on the right way and appropriate places to paste posters or erect billboards.

“We could no longer tolerate the manner major streets have been defaced with posters and other signage and billboards. We appeal to whoever that wants to use public space for advertisement to come for registration and follow regulations.”

Mrs Gbadebo said any individual, religious organization, political party, company or business owner who attempts to use public space for advertisement without the authorization of the agency would be arrested and prosecuted.

Soliciting the support of the citizens to the activities of the agency, Mrs Gbadebo disclosed that the agency allows installment payment of the annual dues, as well as the need to patronize professional advertisers.

The signage dues, according to her, is determined by sizes or location as well as the level of industrial concerned involved with the signage