By Eric Ugbor

ABA—OPPOSITION political parties in Abia state have accused the government of deliberately imposing exorbitant fees on installation of political campaign billboards across the seventeen local government areas of the state. They said it is  a ploy to discourage campaign activities of opposition in the state.

The Abia State government had through the state Signage and Advertisement Agency, ABSAA, imposed the sum of N10 million for Governorship, N6 million for the Senate, N3 million for the House of Representatives and N1.5 million for the State House of Assembly before any    political bill board could    be placed in any part of the state.

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu

But the opposition in the state said the fees were deliberately fixed to exploit them and give undue advantage to the ruling political party which has  unhindered access to the placement of adverts and billboards across the state.

Mr. James Uba, a media consultant and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state accused the state government of  “exploitation, extortion and    deliberate act to whittle the opposition.”

But the General Manager of ABSSA, Mr Gan Alozie told Vanguard that the law was not targeted at the opposition, stating that the agency had removed many unlawful advert billboards including that of the ruling PDP . He added that the law was not peculiar to the state alone or targeted anyone or group.