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By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA) has clamped down on advertising practitioners and third party agents over non compliance and refusal to pay advert bills to the state’s coffers.
The agency’s Director-General, Mr. Oludolapo Eso-Ajanaku, disclosed this on Wednesay, after leading an enforcement exercise within Ibadan metropolis.
Eso-Ajanaku explained that Oyo State Government is being owed over N650 million in revenue from these advertising practitioners over the period in view.
He said the decisive action was as a result of an extensive debt profile that has continued to grow, despite repeated encouragement and ample opportunities provided by OYSAA to third party practitioners to reconcile their accounts and reduce their debt profile.
The Director General said despite the compassion and generosity shown by the state government over an extended period, it has become obvious that the current level of non-compliance can no longer be sustained.
“This enforcement initiative is not only about addressing the current financial discrepancies but also about setting a precedent for accountability and compliance within Oyo State. The ongoing non-compliance has reached a point where it jeopardises the expansion of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State,” he said.
He urged all third party practitioners within the state to promptly address their debts to avoid potential disruptions to their operations, stressing that the agency reserves the right to approve, terminate or revoke its engagement with any individual or organisation at any point in time, if they default in their roles and obligations to the agency.