DELTA State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has directed that all monies illegally collected from outdoor advertising practitioners outside the approved payment system be refunded, warning that illegal billboards across the state will be removed in a bid to sanitise the advertising sector. The government said while some local councils carried out collections properly, others did not, making the process susceptible to exploitation and failing to deliver the expected environmental aesthetics.
The governor, represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kingsley Emu, gave the directive at the official launch of the Centralised Smart Advertising Management Platform (CSAMP), which he described as a major step towards transparency, accountability and improved revenue generation. Under the new arrangement, the management of outdoor advertising had been ceded to the Delta State Signage and Advertisement Agency (DESSAA) through a joint partnership with local government councils, backed by a transparent revenue-sharing formula. The CSAMP platform is aimed to eliminate the activities of touts and unauthorised revenue collectors by ensuring that all payments are made electronically and properly accounted for. Emu said the state was not introducing a new concept but adopting a proven model that has been successfully implemented elsewhere, stressing that the fragmented system of revenue collection by local government councils had created loopholes and encouraged abuse. He said the governor had directed that anyone who made payments to unauthorised agents should present evidence of payment for verification and refund, while those who had already paid through unauthorised channels must be referred to the new centralised platform, assuring that all verified payments would be refunded. He warned that anyone unable to produce valid evidence of payment would not have a legitimate claim, regardless of any petitions or complaints made to security agencies, saying the state would begin an aggressive enforcement campaign against illegal advertising structures and all unauthorised billboards and signage erected without approval would be demolished. The SSG said practitioners would be given adequate notice to regularise their payments through the new system, warning that failure to comply would attract the removal of their advertising structures. He stated that existing legal framework should also allow for periodic administrative adjustments of advertising rates to reflect current realities, while ensuring fairness and sustainability in the management of the sector. Chairman of DESSAA, Jaro Egbo, assured council chairmen, as stakeholders, that the initiative was the statutory right for signage collection and urging them to have desk officers to serve as representative that will drive the digital processes. In his address, DESSAA Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sebastian Okoh, described the CSAMP launch as a major step towards repositioning the agency through innovation, transparency, accountability and improved service delivery. Okoh added that the initiative as a historic milestone that signals DESSAA’s transition into a fully digital era to enhance operational efficiency and increase its contribution to state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He stated that the newly launched platform provides a seamless electronic platform that enables advertisers and stakeholders to access DESSAA’s services and complete transactions online from anywhere in the world, eliminating unnecessary physical visits. Okoh said the fully cashless platform would eliminate financial leakages, improve accountability, discourage unethical practices and ensure that all legitimate revenue due to the agency is properly remitted. Declaring the commencement of Operation No Pay Shishi Give Anybody, he stressed that all payments should now be made exclusively through the digital platform as part of DESSAA’s commitment to transparency and integrity, urging stakeholders to support and promote the initiative by becoming ambassadors of the new system. He expressed confidence that the platform would help build a smarter, more transparent and prosperous outdoor advertising industry in the state.
