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2023 ELECTION: #Kwara Government Promises Level Playground—-The Kwara Government has assured all political parties in the state of a level playing ground in carrying out their political activities across the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The state Commissioner for Communications, Mr Olabode Towoju, gave the assurance at a stakeholders meeting with political parties organised by the Kwara State Signage and Advertisements Agency (KWASSA), on Thursday in Ilorin.
Towoju urged the parties to adhere strictly with regulations in the erection of billboards and pasting of posters.
The commissioner explained that the state government would not witchunt any political party, promisingd to be fair and just to every party.
He also emphasised on the government’s readiness to work with all political parties to move the state forward and ensure entrenchment of good governance.
According to him, in all our dealings, we should put the state interest first and shun all acts that could plunge the state into crisis.
“As a government, we will not discriminate against any party,” he said.
He also encouraged all political parties to abide by the rules and regulations of the agency in the erection of billboards and pasting of posters and stop defacing the state.
Earlier, the Director-General of KWASSA, Mr Olorunshola Omotayo, said the purpose of the meeting was to educate and enlighten political parties on the rules guiding erection of billboards and pasting of posters.
He also sought the support and cooperation of all as transition period approaches and advised politicians to play the game according to the rules.
:”We should shun the act of vandalising one another’s billboards. Now is the time to get it right.
“We should endeavour to play the game according to the rules and shun politics of do or die,” he said.
He said there are rules and regulation that guide erection of billboards and it should be strictly adhere with.
He added that the 2010 Signage Law and 2013 as amended empowers the agency to remove any billboard that failed to respect the rule.
He said further that all billboards should be registered and must have permit.
“The law empowers the agency to enforce. Soon the agency will embark on enforcement. Those that followed due process will not be affected.
“I am using this opportunity to appeal to all political parties to shun act of thuggery and vandalism of one another’s billboards and posters.
“If anyone is caught will face full wrath of law, so there should be total compliance from all political parties,” he added.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police in Kwara, ACP Aniefiok Akpan, who spoke on behalf of other security agencies, assured of their readiness to beef up security across the state.
He explained that the police and other security agencies would not fold their arms and allow miscreants to takeover political space in the state.
He also warned political parties against taking law into their hands, promising that all security agencies in the state will deal with the situation with equity, justice and fairness
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