The Edo State chapter of the Association of Professional Outdoor Signage Practioners of Nigeria (APOSPON), on Wednesday lamented that the destruction of political campaign billboards across the state was impacting negatively on its members businesses.
Speaking at a press conference in Benin on Wednesday, the State Chairman chairman of APOSPON, Mr. Esokpunwu Dave Ekuase, said the press conference was occasioned by the destruction of political campaigns and advert messages deployed on their boards, and other advert structures across the state, especially in Benin city by unknown persons.
Ekuase, who said the destruction of the political campaigns billboards cut across all political parties, added that the association would formally write a petition to the Assistant Inspecptor-General of Police, Zone 5, Benin and the Edo State Police Command to notify them of the ugly development.
He noted that the practitioners bore the cost of replacing any billboards already paid for by political party when vandalised.
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“We are using this medium to call on all those going about vandizing and destroying campaigns and advert messages deployed on our billboards to desist from this act forthwith.
“These structures are our investments and capital intensive. Same can be said of our clients who spend so much money producing advert materials deployed on our structures.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch our investments being destroyed.We are therefore, activating every device to protect our investments and source of livelihood from going down the drain.
“We have been engaged to handle political campaigns over the years, and this year political dispensation shouldn’t be different, we are law abiding citizens doing our business professionally.
“And, we are yet to come to terms with the reason why campaigns deployed on our billboards are being vandalized or removed this time around”,he said.
The APOSPON, state chairman, who called on the Nigeria police and other security outfits in the state to watch out for vandals and apprehend them, added that any person caught perpertuating or linked to act of vandalism would be dealt in accordance to the law of the land.
It would be recalled that the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Olumide Akpata, had a few weeks ago, raised the alarm of the destruction of his campaign billboards.
Akpata, accused the Edo State Government agents and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party’s, governorship candidate, Barrsiter Asue Ighodalo as those behind the vandalism.
The state government immediately refuted the allegation, and urged anyone with genuine complaints to lodge the same with the appropriate security agencies.
