…Call for arrest of Culprits
From Mba Nnenna- Abakaliki.
The Gubernatorial Candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance party APGA, in Ebonyi state Prof. Odoh I. Bernard, have accused Governor David Nweze Umahi over the destruction of his Campaign billboards.
In a press statement, Tuesday 23rd, August, Odoh alleged that several billboards bearing his image and the Deputy, Dr. Nkata Chukwu in Abakaliki, the state capital and some other parts of the state have been removed in the locations where they had been placed.
The Gubernatorial Candidate said “we had since we set out for our consultations in June and even in our numerous media appearances maintained a very robust and healthy engagement with both the stakeholders of different political parties and the Ebonyi electorates.”
Odoh affirmed that the genesis for the attack on the billboards was due to a “Remove Ads” notice pasted on the billboards.
The “Remove Ads” was as a result of our advertising handlers refusal to surrender the billboard which we had already paid for, to the APC Candidate who had earlier requested for them at all cost. Roxana are not in anyway and form owing the state government.( He said)
According to Odoh APGA therefore informed the advertising agency- Rocana which has professionally operated in the state and entire southeast about the “remove ads” notices placed by the Ebonyi state government on the billboards with its official seal. They promised to reach the state government and get back to APGA party soonest.
Unfortunately, the billboards were discovered on Monday morning already destroyed suspectedly by agents of the state government, while no explanations have been offered the professional advertising agent-Rocana.
Consequently, APGA Ebonyi state chapter have requested the Nigerian Police force Ebonyi state command to commence investigations, arrest and prosecute the culprits. The party also sound a last warning to the government and its agents to desist from attacking its campaign materials or the consequences of any further attack would not be tolerated.
Reacting, Barr. Orji Uchenna, Commissioner for Information and state Orientation on behalf of Ebonyi state government, in another press release Tuesday, stated that the political billboards were illegally displayed while the attention of the service providers were sought, but they failed or refused to comply, resulting to the removal of the affected billboards.
