The judgement of the Supreme Court, empowering the 774 local government councils in Nigeria, by granting them financial autonomy, has continued to generate reactions among Nigerians.
Not a few have commended the judiciary for coming up with such judgement. To this class of people, for the true dividends of democracy to be felt, there is the need to bring government and governance nearer to the people. And, the only way to do that is through a gradual democratisation of local government system.
However, a sizable number are not seeing the development in this light. The autonomy of the LGs may mean trouble for some businesses, especially the out-of-home advertising, a practice highly susceptible to the vagaries of the weather, state and even individuals.
Many are therefore apprehensive of what this new development may bring for the practice, and, therefore, advised on cautious optimism.
Statutorily, the local government is supposed to be in charge of regulating hoarding, but through some bye-laws, such responsibility is being warehoused in the states. But the Supreme Court’s judgment may upturn the apple cart.
What therefore happens, in case the local government councils decide to push their luck further by asserting their rights to regulate the outdoor ad space, seen by many, especially the state, as another major revenue earner for governments besides oil? Can the sector survive the crude and non-conventional methods, usually employed by staffers of this third tier of government in collecting their revenue?
For the nation’s number one out-of-home ad practitioner, Sola Akinsiku, there is nothing to be apprehensive about. The Supreme Court judgment remains a welcome development for practitioners in the industry.
Akinsiku, who is the President of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), believes there is no way the sector can go back to the old, inglorious path of touting, and state thuggery, in the name of revenue collection.
One of his reasons for such optimism is hinged on the fact that most states have already created a template, regarding how the practice should be regulated. And since that has worked effectively, the local government councils will be left with no other option than to adopt it.
“While we watch events unfold, I however believe the judgment does not necessarily mean the practice will fall under the control of the LGs again,” he stated.
The immediate past president of the association, Chief Emmanuel Ajufo is also in bed with this submission.
He believes the resilience, built over the years by the association, has toughened it for challenges, in case of any, ahead.
While praying for a better understanding of the practice by the different tiers of government, Ajufo explained that the coming on board of states’ outdoor regulatory agencies was not to exterminate local government, then, but to provide a more structured way of dealing with the states.
“For instance, the board which LASAA refused to constitute, should have been chaired by a local government council chairman, if constituted. That simply means the intention of creating the LASAAs of this world is never to remove LGs from the outdoor ad scheme of things but to provide a more structured system for the regulation of the practice,” he stated.
Ajufo, however, dismissed fears being nursed in some quarters of local government councils returning to the inglorious past of regulating the practice. The dynamics, he noted, have since changed, with many of the LGs now conscious of themselves and what they want to do for their localities.
READ ALSO: Our salaries are regular every 25th of the month — Anambra NULGE
