Authorities of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) on Monday refused to appear before the Edo State House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee, which was set up to investigate its operations and funding.

Recall that Governor Monday Okpebholo last month asked the Assembly to determine the stake of the state government after committing N3.3b and the true ownership of MOWAA.

At the resumed sitting of the Committee on Monday, MOWAA, in a letter by its lawyer, Olayiwola Afolabi, said it had earlier informed the Committee that it would be sub judice for it to attend the public hearing due to the pendency of the same matter before the Federal High Court, Benin City.

In the letter, MOWAA informed the Committee that other Federal Government and House of Representatives committees have been constituted to look into the same issues.

The letter said documents it previously submitted to the Assembly showed that everything about MOWAA was genuine and transparent.
MOWAA, in the documents it submitted, said, “No funds from any international institution had been received for the building of MOWAA until after it was very clear what MOWAA was and was not.

“All funding was received subsequent to the time in the middle of 2021 that it was clear to potential donors that there would be two separate organisations, one focused on Benin heritage art and another on modern and contemporary, broader West African art and research/education.

“Funding from the German Government did not come until the end of 2022 – a year and a half after the Palace disassociated itself from MOWAA. The fact that there would be two separate museums was communicated to the Benin Dialogue Group (the European museums) in the meetings of October 2021 at the London meeting and again in Hamburg in the meetings of March 2023, and further confirmed in writing to all Benin Dialogue Group members approximately two years ago when MOWAA formally withdrew from the group meetings.”

Speaking before the Committee, the state Accountant General, Julius Oseimen Anelu, said N3.8b was released for the building of MOWAA between 2022 and 2024.

He said funding for MOWAA by the Edo State Government was appropriated for in the budget.

He said the $18m from donors did not enter the state’s coffers.

On his part, the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, who was represented by Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, accused former Governor Godwin Obaseki of making efforts to hijack the processes for the returned artefacts.

He accused former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and a former Director General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Albert Tijani, of fighting the Palace to defend actions of the Legacy Restoration Trust (LRT).

Oba Ewuare II said the LRT was used to solicit funds abroad using his name.

The Benin monarch said the Federal Government gazette, which recognised him as the custodian of the returned artefacts, made the LRT promoters realise that they were fighting a lost battle.

Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Hon. Ade Isibor, expressed shock at MOWAA’s action.

Hon Isibor said the suit cited by MOWAA would not stop the Committee’s investigation, noting that the Assembly and the Edo State Government were not parties to any litigation involving MOWAA.

He said, “The powers of parliament to look into funds disbursed by the Executive are sacrosanct and cannot be taken away by any court.

“We are shocked that MOWAA did not attend the sitting or come to give verbal presentation. The Committee adopt the documentary evidence forwarded to us by MOWAA.”