The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has warned political parties to desist from erecting and pasting of party’s paraphernalia and banners at unauthorized places ahead of the December 7 elections.
According to AMA, the placement of billboards and pasting of publicity materials at unlawful places is against the Assembly’s ‘premises maintenance by-law’ of 1995.
[contextly_sidebar id=”mI7mzwAMM0kqoV4xILZOJ2JCSiSiD8re”]The Public Relations Officer of the Assembly, Numo Blafo II told Citi News the assembly has noted with concern the development in the run-up to this year’s elections and will soon take action against it.
“When it get to this period we have the political parties putting up their paraphernalia, bill boards and posters indiscriminately and some even without permit from the assembly,” he said.
Numo Blafo II said the assembly will allow persons who have flouted the law by posting without permit to regularize it by securing teh required permit or it will remove the materials but if the parties fail to do so.
He added that the assembly will take it up and remove the materials however will surcharge the offenders.
“Those who have gone ahead can get it regularize or whatever they have to do to clean up or we will go ahead and clean up and then surcharge them for the activity. We are just telling them or either remove it or come to the assembly for the regularization,” he noted.
He added that, although the assembly has noted such illegal activities of political parties, it has taken interest in religious and other secular organizations that continue to flout their regulations on public advertisement.
He said, “It is not just the political parties, we are talking about the Churches and other individuals who have those kind of posters and banners unapproved in town.”
He said the assembly has issued an ultimate of up to October 31 to all offenders to remove their illegally hosted materials or be fined.
“We are giving them up to Monday. You can come [on] Monday to the assembly so that we can find a way of sanitizing the system,” Numo Blafo II said.
–
By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana