MOWAA, Radisson Blu Probe Not To Victimise OBASEKI – Edo Assembly

Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committees investigating the ownership of the Museum for West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel have said the probe was not aimed at victimising a former governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki.

The committees, however, stated that Obaseki failed to inform the Assembly when plans were made to transfer the ownership of the Radisson Blu Hotel to the Hospitality Investments and Management Company (HIMC), despite legislative approval for N2 billion to be used to purchase the hotel.

The chairmen of the committees, Hon. Ibhamawu Aigbokhan and Hon. Addeh Isibor, disclosed this when they presented their findings to the Assembly.

On the report on Museum of West African Art, Addeh said claims by the management that the organisation raised N37 billion contradicted its audited financial statement.

According to him, the committee recommended that Governor Monday Okpebholo take over possession of the entire premises where MOWAA is located, on the grounds that the Edo State Government funded the project.

Addeh further stated that the committee also recommended that the land on which the project is situated should remain the property of the Central Hospital Benin, noting that the land title was never officially revoked.

 He said: “That the Edo State Government should immediately take all steps to put the property to good use in the best and overriding public interest of the people.”

On the Radisson Blu Hotel probe, Aigbokhan said the committee recommended that the Edo State Government take full and total control of the hotel, stressing that the state did not receive any financial return from the project.

He added that the title to the hotel was never transferred from the Edo State Government to either the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) or HIMC.

According to him: “That the Edo State Government should contract competent hands to complete the renovation of the Hotel and take all steps to put the Hotel to use for the benefit of the good people of Edo State in particular and the world in general.”

The committee also recommended the immediate revocation of what it described as a fraudulent Certificate of Occupancy issued in favour of HIMC, with a directive that ownership be reverted to the Edo State Government. Furthermore, the committee urged the state government to initiate legal action and collaborate with relevant anti-graft agencies to recover the balance of the N17.5 billion bond proceeds allegedly still in the custody of escrow agents, Meristem Trustees Limited and Emerging Africa Trustees Limited