By Steve Oko
Abia State Government has vowed to pull down any billboard or outdoor advertising structure in the state that poses a danger to public safety.
This was contained in a statement by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Abia Structures Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSSAA), Mrs Victoria Onwubiko, issued on Tuesday.
The statement said the agency had concluded an integrity test of high-rise billboards and outdoor advertising structures in the state, and was set to engage their owners to review findings.
According to the statement, the move is aimed at strengthening environmental order and preventing future billboard collapse.
This is coming about a week after the State Government paid N20 million compensation to families of the victims of a billboard collapse in Aba, which claimed the life of a tricycle driver and left his passengers injured.
According to the statement, rather than documentation alone, the test focused on structural integrity, material durability, stability, load resistance, installation quality, and overall safety conditions.
It read in part:”With the technical testing now completed, ABSSAA will begin direct engagement with billboard owners and outdoor media operators to review findings, advise on required reinforcement or replacement, and verify ownership and installation responsibility.
” Where any structure is found to be weak, unsafe, poorly installed, weather-compromised, or no longer fit for public exposure, the Agency will ensure that immediate remedial action is taken to prevent accidents or loss of life.
“This is in line with international outdoor media safety standards”.
The statement said that the government had adopted “a preventive, science-based, and safety-first approach to outdoor advertising regulation”.
Stressing that public safety is not negotiable, the statement threatened to demolish any structure that poses a potential danger to public safety.
It, therefore, called for full cooperation from billboard owners, installers, and advertising companies, noting that “compliance is now mandatory for continued operation in the state.”
The statement restated the commitment of the Abia State Government “to promoting outdoor advertising that enhances business visibility, urban aesthetics, and environmental order without endangering human life or property.”
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