Mr Makpa Malla, a member at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, made this known on Friday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.
Two years imprisonment and other stiff penalties await those who display signages indiscriminately in Nasarawa State, a lawmaker has said.
Mr Makpa Malla, a member at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, made this known on Friday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.
NAN recalls that Makpa (APC-Wamba) sponsored a bill entitled “A Law to Regulate Indiscriminate Display of Signages Within Urban Areas of Nasarawa State and for other Matters Connected Therewith”, which was passed into law by the House on Aug. 8.
The Bill had been transmitted to Gov. Tanko Al-Makura for his assent.
Malla explained that he sponsored the Bill to address the notorious problem of the defacement of cities in the state through the indiscriminate use of billboards, signpost and posters, among others, by corporate bodies, religious organisations, politicians and political parties or organisations.
According to him, the proposed law seeks to develop a technical framework for signage placement in the state, including all necessary technical specification, procedure, roles, responsibilities and liabilities for signage placement.
“The principal objective of the law is to, among others, punish any person who contravenes, conspires, aids, counsels, procure or assist another person to contravene the provision of this law shall be guilty of offence and liable on conviction to a fine of not less than N100,000 only or two years imprisonment or both,” he said.
The lawmaker commended his colleagues for passing the bill into law, adding that the law will boost the revenue base of the state which would impact directly on the provision of infrastructure and other services.
“The law will bring to bear in our polity the sanity and order urban areas will wear when the law begins to be fully implemented. This is because the hitherto indiscriminate placements of signages in our cities will no longer be allowed.
“There will be engagement of our craftsmen and artisans, particularly our students in the relevant technology institutions across the state as the placement of signages in affected urban areas are expected to carry a standardised pattern.
“This will go a long way in addressing the teeming problems of youth unemployment.
“Under the law, the use of signages will attract what ordinarily will be an insignificant amount of fees depending on the size and purpose of the signage. The aggregate of the fees collected will go into consolidated revenue fund of the state.
“As this will also form the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) thereby diversifying the government revenue base away from monthly federation allocation,” he said.
The lawmaker restated his commitment to support and promote good policies and programmes that have direct bearing on the lives of his constituents and the state at large.