The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has approved a N150 million levy for presidential and governorship candidates seeking to erect political billboards in Abakaliki ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Under the new rates, candidates contesting National Assembly seats will pay N20 million, while those seeking election into the Ebonyi State House of Assembly will be required to pay N5 million.
The lawmakers also approved a N9.673 billion loan facility requested by Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru from Keystone Bank Limited to enable the state and its local government councils to meet counterpart funding obligations for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The decisions were reached during a plenary session of the Assembly, where members unanimously adopted a resolution to strengthen the regulation of political advertisements within the state capital and approve additional funding for basic education.
On the billboard charges, the House ordered the immediate termination of all existing contracts and arrangements relating to political billboards and posters within Abakaliki.
The lawmakers also directed the Commissioner for Capital City Development to assume responsibility for regulating political advertisements and collecting the approved levies.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman of the House Committee on Capital City Development, Hon. Arinze Lucas Chukwu, who represents Ishielu South Constituency.
While presenting the motion, Chukwu raised concerns about the indiscriminate placement of political posters and billboards across Abakaliki.
He identified public buildings, electric poles, streetlights, bridges and fences as some of the places where political advertisements had been displayed without proper control.
According to him, the practice affects the appearance of the capital city and creates environmental concerns.
He also argued that the state was losing revenue because of the way billboard and poster collections had been handled.
Chukwu further pointed to overlapping responsibilities among government agencies involved in collecting advertising fees.
He said the situation had resulted in confusion, revenue leakages and cases of double taxation.
He maintained that the existing legal framework gave the Commissioner for Capital City Development the authority to regulate outdoor advertising within the capital territory.
The new resolution is expected to centralise the process and establish a more coordinated system for collecting revenue from political campaigns.
Under the approved arrangement, political parties, aspirants, organisations, groups and individuals intending to erect billboards or paste posters within Abakaliki must first pay the applicable levy into a designated government revenue account.
They must also obtain an official receipt before installing any political advertisement. Those who proceed without meeting the requirements risk enforcement action by the relevant authorities.
The Assembly further directed the Commissioner for Capital City Development to identify and designate locations where political posters may be displayed and billboards erected.
A task force is also expected to be established to identify and remove unauthorised installations.
Any individual or group found to have violated the rules will be required to pay a penalty equivalent to 50 per cent of the original levy, in addition to the applicable fee.
The resolution also affects the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Service, which was directed to end all contracts, concessions and other arrangements with private consultants or agents responsible for collecting fees on political billboards and posters within the capital city.
Seconding the motion, the member representing Ivo Constituency, Hon. Onyebuchi Ogbadu, supported the proposed changes, saying they would help restore order in the capital and improve the state’s internally generated revenue.
The lawmakers subsequently mandated the House Committees on Capital City Development, Finance and Environment to monitor the implementation of the resolution and submit their reports within 30 days.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa, put the motion to a vote, and it was unanimously adopted by the members.
Meanwhile, the Assembly’s approval of the N9.673 billion loan represents a separate decision aimed at supporting basic education funding in the state.
Governor Nwifuru had written to the lawmakers seeking authorisation to obtain the facility from Keystone Bank Limited. The letter was read during plenary by the House Leader, Hon. Kingsley Ikoro.
According to the governor’s request, the money would enable the state government and local government councils to meet their counterpart funding obligations under the UBEC programme.
Counterpart funding is required for states to access relevant federal intervention funds for basic education projects.
Such funding can support improvements in school infrastructure, learning facilities and other educational needs, depending on the approved projects.
In the letter presented to the Assembly, Keystone Bank was said to have agreed to provide the loan at an annual interest rate of 17 per cent, alongside a management and commitment fee of 0.5 per cent.
Moving the motion for approval, Ikoro urged his colleagues to consider the request promptly, stressing the importance of securing the necessary funding for educational development in Ebonyi State.
The member representing Ohaozara East Constituency, Hon. Igu Chikezie Nwankwo, seconded the motion.
He described the request as appropriate and important to expanding access to education.
Also supporting the proposal, the member representing Ikwo North Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu, highlighted the potential benefits of the funding and backed the governor’s request.
