- Safiu Kehinde
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has vowed to prosecute those found to be behind the alleged shady deals surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) project.
NPO Reported that suspected thugs had last week stormed the museum, disrupting its opening ceremony as expatriates who had arrived at Benin, the state’s capital, for the inaugural exhibition watched in awe.
Reacting to the development while hosting the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, at the Government House, Benin, Okpebholo expressed concern over the project’s operations.
He cited the suspicious changes to MOWAA’s registration details, allegedly made barely six days to his swearing-in, and the lack of transparency in the project’s management.
The governor gave assurance that his administration would work closely with the Federal Government, traditional institutions, and stakeholders to resolve the controversy surrounding the project.
“I didn’t want to speak publicly on this again, but the time has come to state the facts.
“At the end of the day, there will be criminal prosecution on this matter. We are not fighting investors.
“Our duty is to protect Edo and, by extension, Nigeria. There will be no hiding place for criminals in our land,” the governor said.
He also said that the State Government was never informed about the arrival of expatriates invited for a Sunday commissioning ceremony.
According to him, the development further reinforced the lack of transparency that characterised the project’s operations.
In her remark, the minister commended the state for its historic and ongoing contributions to Nigeria’s cultural identity.
She praised the intellectual heritage of the people and the global significance of Benin’s cultural legacy.
Musa-Musawa admitted that the Federal Government was aware of the MOWAA issues and pledged a collaborative approach to resolving the matter.
She termed it as “an original sin” that must be addressed to restore dignity to traditional institutions and safeguard Nigeria’s international cultural reputation.
The meeting was attended by key government officials, including the Speaker of the Edo Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Roland Otaru (SAN).