The Electronic Billboard owned by E-Motion Advertising Ltd by Rebisi Flyover, Port Harcourt has been confiscated by the Rivers State Signage and Advertisement Agency (RISAA) for displaying a pornographic video on the board.
The acting director of RISAA, Anthony Okeah described the act as public nuisance, wicked, irresponsible and wrongful act by one of the major advertisement practitioners in Nigeria, saying it is sad that this act would come from an organization that knows the laws, rules of engagement and operation.
According to him, two persons in connection with the act have been arrested by the police and if found guilty the law will take its course.
He urged the police to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the act, whether it is an act of sabotage or negligence because it is not a good thing to thwart existing laws. “We are working in synergy with the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to forestall future occurrences be it negligence or a sabotage, the RISAA acting director added.
Hon. Okeah said the task of RISAA as an agency is to monitor and regulate billboard structures, both the location, the sizes and the type, and that they do not have the power to vet the content of the billboard rather it is the job of APCON to regulate and vet all media activities in Nigeria.
His words: It is intended that the practitioner, the advertiser should be able to obtain satisfaction and vesting rights from APCON, who will know the exact contents that are meant to be exposed to the public.
He therefore urged the general public to disregard the wrongful act by E-Motion Advertising Ltd and promised that the agency is liaising with APCON to forestall future occurrence.
