In the thick of the ownership contention over the Museum for West African Art, (MOWAA) in Benin City, Edo State, the federal government has pledged a collaborative approach to resolving what she described as “an original sin” that must be addressed to restore dignity to traditional institutions and safeguard Nigeria’s international cultural reputation.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the federal government made its intervention known on Friday when the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa visited Governor Monday Okpebholo at the Government House where she held a meeting with him and top officials of the state government on the contentious MOWAA issue.
At the meeting, Governor Okpebholo vowed that there would be “criminal prosecution” in the matter, clarifying that while the government was not fighting investors, its duty is to protect Edo State and, by extension, Nigeria.
Acknowledging the federal government’s awareness of the MOWAA saga, Musawa told the governor, “I want you and your fantastic team to work closely with the traditional institution that has been grossly wronged.
“We want to find a balanced solution that respects history, protects traditional institutions, and strengthens Nigeria’s global credibility”.
The minister stated that the federal government “is willing to listen and support all efforts to bring lasting succour”.
Musawa commended Edo State for its historic and ongoing contributions to Nigeria’s cultural identity, praising the intellectual heritage of the Edo people and the global significance of Benin’s cultural legacy.
Explaining the issues Governor Okpebholo, reiterated his administration’s uncompromising commitment to transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity in the raging controversy surrounding MOWAA, stressing that the state is not at war with investors but would not hesitate to prosecute any wrongdoing uncovered in the project.
The governor expressed concern that his administration was deliberately excluded from crucial information and developments, including the arrival of foreign delegates for what he described as a questionable commissioning ceremony.
He said, “I didn’t want to speak publicly on this again, but the time has come to state the facts.
A tough-talking Okpebholo insisted that “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.”
According to him, the documents obtained by the state indicated major changes to MOWAA’s registration details, made just six days before his swearing-in, describing the action as suspicious and deeply troubling.
Governor Okpebholo insisted that the state government was never informed about the arrival of expatriates invited for a Sunday commissioning ceremony, a move, he said, further reinforced the lack of transparency that has characterised the project’s operations.
The meeting was attended by key government officials, including the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku; Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Umar Musa Ikhilo, Chief of Staff, Gani Audu; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Roland Otaru, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN; and the commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, among others.
Governor Okpebholo assured that his administration would continue to defend the integrity of Edo State, uphold due process, and work closely with the federal government, traditional institutions, and all stakeholders to achieve a just, transparent, and credible resolution to the MOWAA controversy and similar matters affecting the state.