Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, has described the ongoing Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) project as suspicious, citing a lack of transparency and crucial information about its implementation. He called for full accountability, insisting that any wrongdoing uncovered would be prosecuted.
The governor made the remarks while receiving the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
Addressing concerns surrounding the project, Okpebholo expressed dissatisfaction over what he termed the deliberate omission of vital updates, including the arrival of foreign delegates for what he described as a questionable commissioning ceremony.
“I didn’t want to speak publicly on this again, but the time has come to state the facts,” the governor said. “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 State and, by extension, Nigeria. There will be no hiding place for criminals in our land.”
He further revealed that documents obtained by the state government showed significant alterations to MOWAA’s registration details made just six days before his swearing-in as governor, calling the development “suspicious and deeply troubling.”
According to him, the state was also not briefed about the arrival of expatriates invited for a planned Sunday commissioning ceremony, a development he said reinforced the pattern of secrecy surrounding the project.
In her remarks, Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa commended Edo State for its historic and ongoing contributions to Nigeria’s cultural identity. She praised the intellectual heritage of the Edo people and the global significance of Benin’s cultural legacy.
The minister acknowledged the federal government’s awareness of the issues around MOWAA and pledged a collaborative approach to resolving what she referred to as “an original sin” that must be addressed to restore dignity to traditional institutions and safeguard Nigeria’s cultural reputation on the global stage.
