IPAC, road users decry indiscriminate placement of campaign billboards on Bauchi roads

The Bauchi State chapter of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has joined several road users in the state to express dismay at the attitude of some highly placed politicians in the state whose billboards constitutes nuisance on major roads in Bauchi metropolis.

Secretary of the council in the state, Malam Musa Mato, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN in Bauchi that the indiscriminate mounting of large size billboards in the middle of major roads, had been causing accidents by blocking the views of motorists and pedestrians.

“Indiscriminate display of posters in the state capital and local government headquarters is posing dangers on major roads by littering the environment and posing security challenges.

“The billboards cause clashes between thugs of various political parties during installation; it is illegal for politicians to mount large size campaign billboards on roads and roundabouts because of the implications and dangers involved,” he said.

Mato appealed to aspirants not to violate campaign rules, advising them to wait for the lifting of the ban on political campaigns.

Also speaking to NAN, in Bauchi on Monday, some road users complained that such billboards being displayed in the middle of roads, had been blocking their views, thereby causing accidents.

They expressed dismay that the act was being perpetrated by even highly placed political office holders seeking for re-election, apart from others warming up to contest political positions in 2019.

“These billboards and posters have caused a lot of accidents as they block the views of pedestrians trying to cross road.

“To me, the billboards are useless because they cannot convince me to vote for a particular candidate as my mind has already been made up on whom to vote for,” said Mr. Henry Agu, a motorist.

Another road user, Mrs. Chidinma Uche, said, middle of road was the least appropriate place to mount billboards, just as she expressed disappointment with the agencies that ought to have checked the practice but did not do so.

“In other parts of the country, I see things like this (billboards) pasted on walls or trees and not in the center of major roads.

“The posters can cause accident because pedestrians, particularly children, can get carried away by them, forgetting that they are a highway and could get knocked down by a moving vehicle,” she said.

In his account, Mr. Bello Yusuf, a Bauchi resident recounted to NAN how the billboards and posters led to disruption of peaceful atmosphere along Wunti Street, one of the major roads in Bauchi metropolis, couple of weeks ago.

“Apart from the fact that the billboards and posters are causing accidents, they also cause fights between groups supporting different aspirants or political parties.

“Two weeks ago, some group of people came to Wunti Street and started destroying the billboards with cutlasses; those who mounted the boards also came and the two groups started fighting each other, thereby disrupting the peaceful atmosphere of the street, which is uncalled for,” he said.

A road user, Mr. Adam Ibrahim, noted that the size of the materials used was such that the billboards could cover even grown-up children crossing the road.

“They are causing accidents and that is because they are big enough to block motorists’ view from seeing pedestrians trying to cross the roads,” he observed.

However, another road user, Mr. Nguh Favour, said there was nothing wrong with mounting of posters and billboards as they (bill boards) sensitise people and notify voters about aspirants in good time.

“It is a normal thing to mount billboards and posters for the electorate to see, especially when election is fast approaching, as it helps us to know who is coming out for a particular position.

“The boards should however, not be fixed at the centre of major roads as this can cause accidents.

“I will advise the people mounting the billboards and posters to know where to mount them, and the best place to mount them should be close to walls, not in the middle of main roads,” he said.

Commenting on the issue, Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps in Bauchi, Mr. Abdulrazak Najume, said his command had noted the disturbing practice and would take measures to save the lives of innocent road users.