KASA Issues One-Week Ultimatum to Banks, Telecom Companies to Comply with Court Order on Billboard Ads
By Salisu Hamisu Ali
The Kano State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KASA) has issued a one-week ultimatum to banks, telecommunications companies, and mobile phone companies in the state to comply with a court order directing them to remove unauthorized billboard advertisements.
Speaking to newsmen in Kano on Friday, KASA Director-General, Kabir Dakata, said the agency had served the affected institutions with court orders mandating them to comply with the directive.
“As you can see, we visited a number of banks, telecommunications firms, and mobile phone companies with representatives here in Kano, and we served them with a court order instructing them to comply with the court’s directive,” Dakata said.
He explained that the court order followed the companies’ failure to meet the legal requirements governing outdoor advertising in the state.
“The court directed that since they failed to comply with the law, they must remove their advertisement billboards. If they fail to do so, the agency will remove them on behalf of the court, but the order also stipulates that they will bear the cost of removal, as provided by law,” he added.
Dakata stated that in the spirit of fairness, the agency had given the companies until next week to comply.
“If they fail to remove the billboards within the given timeframe, we will take action as the law empowers us to do,” he said.
He further emphasized that the agency has established clear procedures for dealing with organizations responsible for paying government advertisement levies.
“The agency had earlier directed all billboard owners to register within one month after the law came into effect. Since many have failed to meet this requirement, we are now enforcing the legal provisions requiring them to pay the government the appropriate advertisement fees,” Dakata concluded.
Below is the court order:
