The Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) has revealed that the agency has lost 18 billion naira in six years from clients and business owners involved in outdoor advertisement and signage activities.
The Director DOAS of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Babagana Adam made this known in an interview with newsmen immediately after a meeting with the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman on how to synergize to stop the leakages by centralizing and controlling signage activities in Abuja.
He said: “We have lost about 3 billion naira each year and when you multiply it times six years its 18 billion naira have been lost.
“Imagine how many schools, roads, poutry farms, livestock farms and ICT centres, which would have been built with this money. So we have lost quite a lot of money.
“With this new development now, I don’t want to look at what we are losing, I will rather love that we strategize and synergize to put a stop to the money leakages.”
Speaking earlier, Chairman Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido posited that the collaboration is overdue by the two organs of the government in order to use the available resources to provide services to the people.
His words: “In the last three years, it has not been too good, because we all lost out, the reasons why we must collaborate and have a new beginning to cement the relationship. We must harmonize to stop double payment by the clients.”
He also noted that, the constitution guarantees local government to operate, “if you don’t have the capacity, you contract it out have collect your share so that services can be provided.
“But where Area Councils are undermined are areas that we are frowning at, that we are working together now, I believe it will be understood.”
