Remove unauthorized No Fees Stress billboard at Flowerpot immediately — Roads Ministry urges LEKMA

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has directed the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) to collaborate with the Department of Urban Roads to ensure the immediate removal of an unauthorised billboard at the Flowerpot Interchange.

The billboard, which bears the image of President John Dramani Mahama, seeks to promote the government’s No Fees Stress policy that waives tuition fees for Level 100 students.

It has, however, sparked public criticism due to the misspelling of “tertiary” as “tartiary.”

The Students Loan Trust Fund, the agency mandated to oversee the policy, has already disassociated itself from the billboard.

In a statement dated August 20 and signed by Nasir Ahmad Yartey, Head of the Public Relations Unit at the ministry, the public was cautioned against the unauthorized installation of outdoor advertising materials.

“We wish to remind the public that such installations violate regulations set by the Ghana Standards Authority’s ‘Advertisement Specification for Outdoor Signs’ (GS 847:2019), Section 5, as well as Sections 11 and 15 of Act 540, and Section 188 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180),” the ministry stated.

The statement further urged LEKMA to liaise with the Department of Urban Roads for the immediate removal of the billboard.

It also reminded all assemblies to collaborate with the relevant regional road agencies before issuing permits for advertisements or notices along road corridors.

The ministry additionally appealed to the Advertising Association of Ghana to strictly enforce its code of conduct on the installation of outdoor advertising structures.