The Chronicle reports that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has moved to dismantle unauthorized billboards in the metropolis.

The exercise, which is intended to avoid lawlessness as well as avert the loss of revenue in advertising, started early last week.

With the stepping up of political activities by the various political parties, the erection of billboards portraying the images of flag-bearers and parliamentary candidates have indignantly and uncontrollably sprung up.

Following this, a special KMA Task Force has moved to enforce management's decision to discourage the practice of erecting billboards at unauthorized places and to ensure law and order.

As a result, one of the bill boards of the flag-bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, erected inside the Bekwai Roundabout in Kumasi, has been removed by the special KMA Task Force.

Another billboard of the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Mr. Isaac Osei and that of Madam Cecilia Dapaah, NPP parliamentary candidates for Subin and Bantama respectively, which had been erected among others inside the Komfo Anokye Hospital Roundabout have also been moved.

Mr. Osei, the Bantama NPP Constituency secretary confirmed the removal of the billboards of his MP. According to a peeved Osei, the whereabouts of the removed billboards were not known.

He said Madam Cecilia Dapaah, who is also the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, has been informed about the removal of her billboard by the KMA boys.

Mrs. Jemima Nancy Asare, Public Relations Officer of the KMA, in a response to Chronicle inquiries said the exercise was in compliance with a decision by management not to allow prospective advertisers including political parties and the general public to erect billboards inside roundabouts in the city, because they obstruct the view of drivers from various directions of the traffic.

She said the exercise was also to check, evasion of payment of licence and advertising fees to the licence department of the KMA. According to her if the political parties had approached the KMA and accordingly paid their licence fees, they would have been advised as to the correct place to erect those billboards.

Mr. Kwabena Kokofu, Bantama constituency chairman of the NPP and convenor of the Administration and Finance Sub-Committee of the KMA says the exercise was an act of misunderstanding.

Aware of the consequences of the action of the KMA boys, Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, the Metro Chief Executive has rendered an unqualified apology to the NPP flag-bearer through Madam Dapaah, for the inconvenience that the removal of the billboards might have caused to the personalities involved and further assured that the KMA would bear the cost of any damages to the said billboards.

Sources close to the Bantama MP co Hided in The Chronicle that Mrs Appiagyei, also known as Mama Pat, last Friday rendered the apology on phone when the Deputy Minister for Housing complained about the removal of her billboards which had been erected there weeks ago.

The Minister was not happy about the way and manner the demolition squad went about the exercise. "This smacks of sabotage", the Bantama MP complained.

Source: The Chronicle