Edo State House of Assembly has commenced an investigation into the operations and funding of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), a project initiated by the immediate past administration.
The ad-hoc committee leading the probe began its fact-finding hearing on Thursday in Benin City, offering stakeholders the opportunity to present evidence and clarify their roles.
Appearing before the committee, MOWAA’s representative, Olayiwola Afolabi SAN, requested additional time to study documents submitted by his client.
The Managing Director of EdoGIS, Tony Ikpasaja, testified that 4.6 hectares of land initially allocated for the Central Hospital were later ceded to MOWAA. He explained that the land, valued at about N33 million, was transferred at no cost, in addition to a reported N1 billion granted to the project.
Former Solicitor-General of Edo State, Prof. Faith Osadolor, who signed the MOWAA agreement on May 14, 2024, was criticised by lawmakers for approving the document without verifying the financial claims it contained.
A delegation from the Oba of Benin’s Palace, led by Chief Osaro Idah, dissociated the palace from the agreement, describing the entire arrangement as fraudulent.
The committee expressed concern over the absence of verifiable evidence to support MOWAA’s claim of having raised N27 billion for the museum project.
Committee Chairman, Hon. Addeh Isibor, said the hearing was aimed at establishing MOWAA’s true legal and financial status. He added that more stakeholders would be invited as the inquiry progresses.
National Point reports that some Benin indigenes had earlier protested the establishment of MOWAA by the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki. They argued that the facility was unnecessary, insisting that European-returned Benin artifacts should have been returned directly to the Oba’s Palace, from which they were originally taken, rather than housed in a separate museum.
The protesters described the creation of a new museum as an affront to their heritage and insisted that any new repository for the artifacts should be located within the palace grounds.
