The Anambra State House Of Assembly Committee On Information has visited the head office of the Anambra State Signage And Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) for oversight legislation.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Frederick Ezenwa who led members of the Committee on the visit said that they were on a familiarisation visit to ANSAA office for an oversight function of the House as empowered by the law.
The Members Of The House Committee that went on the visit include Mr Anayo Okpalaeke Representing Aguata 1 Constituency, Mr. Noble Igwe Representing Ogbaru 1 Constituency, Mr. Patrick Udoba Representing Anambra West Constituency, Mr. Jude Akpua presenting Njikoka II, Mr. Emmanuel Nwafor Representing Orumba South, Mr Jude Umennajiego Representing Onitsha South II and Mr. Justice Azuka Representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency, among others.
Mr. Ezenwa who Represents Onitsha South 1 Constituency said that the aim of the visit was to re-introduce Members of the House Committee On Information to The Agency due to a slight changes made in the Committee by The Speaker.
“So we are here now to know you and you to know us because a time will come in the future where the need will arise to work with you”, Ezenwa stressed.
Responding, The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer ANSAA, Mr. Tony Odili said The Agency was set up by the State Government where part of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is being realised through payment of signage.
“Initially, The Office of ANSAA was domiciled at The Local Government Areas but it was realised that the local government is no longer as local as it used to be.
“It became like what you are controlling is now bigger than the controller, so local government would not find it free, that is why the state has to take over the Signage.
He noted that in 2010, was when the power to work in ANSAA state office started.
He added, “when we came on board, we had to train our officers to enable them to run this job effectively as a pure business. Our main job is to bring money to the State government for the running of the state and nothing more”.
Odili urged for the understanding of the Lawmakers whenever they appear before them during yearly budget defence, saying that the money realised from the job is being paid directly to the State government’s coffers in its consolidated account, from where government paid commission to ANSAA account.
“In the past two years, we have had challenges that we go cap in hand to solve, challenges that we challenge ourselves to turn into opportunities.
He, therefore, urged the committee members to let people know that they render government certified goods and that ANSAA does not manufacture billboards but we render government’s services.
“If you erect your signpost for people to see, we come for your payment for the services because wherever any signpost is erected, it’s to give the public information. If you place it in your house we will not come to you.
“Our job is to collect money for business signpost or billboards, campaigns, burial and ceremonial posters from those that erected or pasted them for public information.
“Our goal is to regulate them and ensure that these things are put in the right place and the owners enjoy them. It does not bring about clusters. It does not make the place untidy and it does not make the city rough.
“Recently, we sent two of our staff to Lagos on a training to learn the current trends and practices,”” Odili noted.
While calling for collaboration with the lawmakers, ANSAA state boss further urged them to sensitise their constituents on the workings of ANSAA, adding that its offices are spread across all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
According to ANSAA MD, billboards are controlled by the government agency, that is, ANSAA, that is why we remove old billboards on the road to replace them with new ones.
He urged politicians to rent political billboards that would last for a few months instead of building them because it’s for a specified period of time.
On his part, the General Manager of ANSAA, Mr. Chijioke Agbani, who described the familiarisation visit as important, thanked the House Committee Chairman and members for embarking on such visit that would help to drive home government business to Ndi Anambra.
On burial and ceremonial posters, he said that the Agency had written to liaison officers in all the communities in the State to remove them and collect payments on behalf of ANSAA which government share to Town Unions, ASATU, and some percentage goes to government.
“We are succeeding in some places and failing in some, because funds are limited and there are places we need more hands to help us clear the posters after expiration,” Agbani posited.
