Archibong Jeremiah
The Cross River State Commissioner of Information, Chief Akin Rickets has expressed high hopes that the concession agreement between the state government and Chris Parkes Marketing Solution, CPMS Africa for the collection of signage rates will yield positive results in due course.
The Information Commissioner bared his mind at the toasting ceremony of the agreement between its authorized agency Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency, CRISSAA and Chris Parkes Marketing Solution Africa in Calabar recently.
The Commissioner, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr. Freedom Ejom maintained that “The revenue of the state is sure to increase by this approach and I acknowledge the parties involved and I urge them to leave up to expectation.”
Director General of Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency, CRISSAA, Mr. Godwin Iyala while speaking revealed that “The agreement between us and the organized private sector is that they will invest their own money and tell us how much they will generate in 10 years, CMPS Africa performed better than all who bided for the job from the open process”.
According to him outdoor advertisement thrives in population, adding that his agency is on the driving seat while CPMS Africa occupies the passenger seat meaning: CRISSAA will be the enforcer while Chris Parkes Marketing Solution will be the contact between the advertisers and the government with the Ministry of Information as the regulatory body.
Mr. Godwin also disclosed that “Payment will be done to the joint account between Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency and CPMS”. Furthermore, Mr. Iyala enjoined Cross Riverians to make good use of the advantage by venturing into advertisement business.
Also speaking at the toasting, the Director General, Cross River State Bureau of Public Private Partnership, BPPP Dr. Francis Ntamu said he and his team members are excited with the development and have no qualms.
The state BPPP DG asserted that “This is a win – win situation” and assured that “We are open to new business and experience, let the experience be positively utilized”.
The Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Chris Parkes Marketing Solution, CPMS Mr. Chris Parkes while speaking informed that employment for Cross River State branch of the organization is purely for indigenes of the state.
Going on, he also disclosed that they have been in Nigeria doing the signage business for 19 years now beginning from Lagos to Kano then Cross River State. He pledged to leave up to expectations in his dealings.
On his part, the representative of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON Mr. Ita Effiong Okon vouched that the step taken by the state government to outsource advertising to a a reputable private firm like CPMS is a welcomed development, maintaining that “If you must be an advertiser you must be approved by APCON which is the regulatory agency”.
Mr. Okon threatened that “Soon all the churches bill boards will be removed because they are planted by quarks”. He went on to urge the state government to institutionalize advertising by including it as a course of study in the state owned University and other tertiary institutions else all these efforts which will only attract foreigners will be lost when the market is 100% commercialized in the state.
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