House of Representatives Committee on Culture and Tourism on Thursday, November 11, 2021, put on hold the budget defence of the National Theatre, Lagos to conduct oversight on the facility to ascertain part of premises alleged being illegally sold.
This came as the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe appreciated the committee, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for prevailing on land grabbers on the N10 billion worth Abuja National Art and Crafts Village.
Chairman of the committee, Ogbeide Ihama (PDP, Edo) while presiding over the 2022 budget defence of the theatre with its management, midway, noted the allegation.
Ihama said: “The issue of NT is of utmost importance. That edifice is our pride and it is strange to all of us that you are not even working there now, that you had to move somewhere within the premises because they are working. Due to allegations of property within the NT being sold, part of the amendment to the motion is an oversight on the spot visit to NT in Lagos. Also the documentation we have requested for we have to get it by tomorrow.
“We would put the budget of the NT on hold until we have an in-depth understanding of the purported or supposed MOU that was signed according to you on February and have the details in which bankers committee would go into Federal Government property and begin construction on April and expect that we will appropriate public funds to that agency.
“I think this issue needs to go beyond all of this, including bankers committee and CBN would need to come and explain to us what is happening to that property and its environs in Ikomu, the popular National Theatre that housed all of Africa during the FESTAC 1977. it is carried and I so rule”.
Sunday Ododo, the DG of the National Theatre, had earlier told the committee about the current state of the facility.
“National Theatre has gone through serious dilapidation and the need to rehabilitate it is why the FG with the CBN Bankers Committee came to an understanding. FG in this instance is represented by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture”, he said.
On his part, the DG NCAC, Runsewe expressed gratitude to the committee for preventing land grabbers who were bent on acquiring their property.
“I need to brief this House what has happened after your intervention from this House which is very key to the interest of this country. This committee has done one of the biggest things for this country. After your visit to our permanent site by Sheraton, this committee’s visit, that land is worth N9.8 billion.
“This is government property that some people want to take over. It is more important than any other because that place can generate over N30 million IGR for us. So I need to make it known today, what happened after your visit to the place. With due respect to this committee, Silver Bird, Yaradua Centre, PTDF, all are owned by this NCAC, the land, but was taken over by some people. The remaining crunch now they want to take it again but thank God for your committee’s visit to that place.
“That land is worth N9.8 billion and it would have gone like that. I want to use this opportunity to thank three important sectors for this land being recovered to this level. First is the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Tourism that has visited the place and the story has changed. Also the EFCC and the FCT Minister.
“If these lands come back now over 120 Nigerians would be taken out of the streets, direct employment and over 500 indirect employment. So it is key for us to understand that this is why we can give IGR to this country. Thank you for that intervention,” he said.
Source: Vanguard
