Sanction Awaits Collapsed Billboards’ Owners

Henceforth, owners of collapsed billboards in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja are to be sanctioned by the FCT administration, FCT Minister, Senator Muhammad Adamu-Aliero has warned.

Senator Aliero said in Abuja that billboards collapse in the FCT due to negligence by owners who failed to comply with approved technical and environmental standards prescribed by the Outdoor Advertising Companies and directed the FCT Development Control Department to sanction erring companies to forestall continued occurrence of the development.

His words: “Any defaulter whose billboard collapses from now, will henceforth be sanctioned by withdrawal/revocation of site allocation and other related concessions

Owners of collapsed billboards, he said, will be penalised to the tune of 150 per cent of earlier approved processing fee.

The FCT boss directed that henceforth all Outdoor Advertising Companies should engage the services of COREN registered engineers for the supervision of all the erection/construction of such billboards/signages.

He also directed that all existing billboards without setting out approval be subjected to structural integrity tests by relevant registered engineers at a cost to be borne by the respective defaulting companies as well as payment of appropriate contravention charges.

The Minister regretted that some billboards especially those with one pole and large metal wings are found to have ran short of the technical requirements that could stand the test of time.

He therefore enjoined the FCT Development Control Department to commence immediate implementation of the new measures, warning that the government cannot watch while some corporate organisations endanger the lives of residents.