The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency – CRISSA, an agency set up for the regulation of the display of signage, hoarding and advertisement in Cross River State, has announced her set date for the enforcement of order against unregistered signage, billboard debtors and illegal signposts.
In a Statement signed and delivered to all concerned, the Director General of the Agency, Hon. Effiom Effiwat said the exercise became necessary to restore the ecstatics of the State against defaced materials and boost revenue generation to the state through the agency.
The Agency boss noted that it is illegal to attempt setting up signpost without first making an appropriate consultation with the agency who would certify the appropriate location for such signpost to avoid obstruction of other public facility and further deface the state.
Hon. Effiwat called on billboard operators who have space within the state to clear their outstanding debts on signages with the agency before the commencement of the exercise to avoid embarrassment that may cause their businesses through the enforcement exercise while reiterating strongly the position of Cross River State as a Tourism destination and a model for other States within the region and Nigeria.
“This exercise is just to ensure that all business owners, all properties that have signs on them, have paid what is due to government
“Everything that we do must be seen to compliment the Tourism credentials of the State”, he added.
The Director General further assured the general public that the exercise will be ‘civil’ and pleaded compliance with business owners to show an evidence of payment to the enforcement team for existing and registered signposts and billboards.
The agency also noted that the State has introduced a unified system of payment through the Cross River Internal Revenue Service – CR-IRS, called pay direct where payments are made directly to the state coffers
and receipted for from the State’s IRS, while encouraging the citizens to take opportunity through that channel to ease payment with verifiable evidence.
He continued to lay emphasis on the issue of erection of signages by business owners without first making appropriate registration with the agency, the DG describes such as an ‘illegal attempt to undermine the agency’ and warned against such, as it is may force the agency to discern on defaulters with the full weight of law.
“Once you are ready to put up a signage, reach us and let us do a physical assessment if the area you intend to host your signage is appropriate, then we will register it and you pay the advertisement cost which is just a token”, Hon. Effiwat reiterates.
The agency on a final note reminded Crossriverians of it’s NO PAPER POSTER POLICY, says it is still invoked and the agency will not hesitate to prosecute defaulters who deface the streets of C’river with these papers posters.