National Arts Theatre: Anger over Minister’s defiance of House directive

Started by TheNation, Jun 08, 2013, 09:31 AM

TheNation

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Mr. Edem Duke, has ordered the ejection of some agencies from the National Arts Theatre Complex in Lagos.

This is in defiance of a directive of the House of Representatives which is currently probing plan by the ministry to concession the complex.

The ejection of the agencies commenced on Wednesday following a letter from the Ministry.

Ejected are the National Council for Arts and Culture, Nigeria Gallery of Arts and the National Troupe of Nigeria, among others.

Members of the House Committee on Culture and Tourism, shocked by the development, are expected to visit the complex next week for first hand assessment of the situation.

The House Committee had on April 8 directed the Minister to stay further action on the concession and halted the planned ejection of three agencies from the Theatre Complex.

Investigation revealed that the minister has asked all agencies at the Theatre Complex to vacate the place because the Federal Government is going ahead with the concession of the edifice.

A member of the House Committee said: "We have just got report that an ejection letter was sent to all the agencies at the Theatre Complex. This is sub-judicial to the ongoing investigation of issues raised on the minister's plans.

"We have not lifted the order that the status quo should be maintained by the minister. We will not take kindly to the ejection of the agencies.

"Some stakeholders have just raised a fresh alarm that building a hotel in the complex will cause serious sewage and environmental problems within the area in Lagos . "The site is also a swamp. So, some of the stakeholders are calling on the Federal Government and Lagos State not to allow what happened in Kenya five years ago, where an edifice erected on swampy area collapsed, to repeat itself in Nigeria.

"Also, the stakeholders alleged that the relevant ministry has not conducted a couple of tests required for such expansion."

In its letter, signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Chief Ben Nwankwo, the House ordered the Minister to stay action on the ejection of the affected agencies.

The letter had said: "It will be only expedient you agree with me, to stay the quit notice already served on the tenant parastatals until the Committee is fully brought in the picture of the public interest inherent in the planned development, which has regrettably generated confusions and controversies in certain quarters.

"I crave your full cooperation and understanding of the purpose of this communication and comply in the overall interest of the sector and our country at large. Please, kindly accept the assurances of my esteemed regards."

The theatre was inaugurated on September 30, 1976 by the then Military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

It was opened five months before the hosting of the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC '77) in January/February 1977.

The Nation


Folami David

There is so much drama currently and it all needs to be resolved as soon as possible. I wish we could just pull this through.

Folami David