From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Government has read the riot act against outdoor advert practitioners who do not maintain their boards, saying such acts would no longer be tolerated in the state.
On Wednesday, a gigantic commercial billboard collapsed in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia, resulting in the death of one person and injuring many others.
The cause of the incident was attributed to the faulty structural foundation of the billboard.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSSAA), Hon (Mrs) Victoria Dibumma Onwubiko, gave the warning while inspecting the site of the incident.
Onwubiko said to prevent future occurrences, the government would put measures in place to ensure poles, especially unipoles, were erected in strict compliance with the standard rules and specifications.
Onwubiko, who described the incident as unfortunate, reiterated the government’s readiness not only to offset all the medical bills of the injured, but also to put in place other logistics that would see to the quick recovery of the victims.
She sympathised with the victims of the unfortunate accident that took place at the Salad Market Junction, along the Aba-Owerri Road.
The ABSSAA boss also visited Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba, where the victims were receiving treatment and assured them that everything humanly possible would be done to ensure their quick recovery.