…I am not a Trustee of MOWAA, Says Obaseki

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has said his administration will prosecute any person involved in any wrongdoing at the ongoing probe of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA)

Governor Okpebholo gave this assurance on Friday while receiving the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Benin City.

Addressing the issues that have trailed 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.

“I didn’t want to speak publicly on this again, but the time has come to state the facts,” he 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.”

The governor revealed that 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.

He added 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.

In her remarks, Minister Hannatu Musa 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.

The minister acknowledged the federal government’s awareness of the MOWAA issues and pledged a collaborative approach to resolving what she termed “an original sin” that must be addressed to restore dignity to traditional institutions and safeguard Nigeria’s international cultural reputation.

“Sir, I want you and your fantastic team to work closely with the traditional institution that has been grossly wronged,” she said. “We want to find a balanced solution that respects history, protects traditional institutions, and strengthens Nigeria’s global credibility. The federal government is willing to listen and support all efforts to bring lasting succour.”

The meeting was attended by key government officials, including the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilo, Esq.; Chief of Staff, Mallam Gani Audu; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Roland Otaru, SAN; and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, among others.

However, the former governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has denied allegations that he is a Trustee of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).

Obaseki claimed he never accompanied MOWAA to solicit funds from donors, and said he only provided an enabling environment for the investment to succeed.

Obaseki, who spoke in a live online interview, explained that his administration never set out to build any museum but to make Edo earn revenue through culture and creative art.

Insisting that the Benin Royal Museum was part of the plan to build a cultural district including the MOWAA Institute in Benin City, Obaseki said he never scammed the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.

According to him, “Oba Erediauwa had foresight. He set up a team to start negotiating the return of the artefacts. This conversation started long before I became Governor.

“When I became a Governor, I asked why we are not making progress we are supposed to make.. We came in to intervene between the Palace and the federal government

“The state government was involved because Abuja is far away. Between 2017 and 2018, we attended meetings to start to understand what the issues were.

In October 2018, I attended a meeting of the Benin Dialogue Group, the NCMM and representatives of the Oba of Benin led by Prof. Gregory Akenzua. At the meeting, we were told the works were fragile, but we assured them we would build facilities to accommodate the works.

“At no point in time did the Edo State Government say they wanted artefacts. We only facilitated the process so that we can get these items back, so that we can use them to attract people to our state.

“As far as I am concerned, I am not a trustee of MOWAA. My role as Governor is to support institutions. Whether it is EMOWAA or MOWAA, what is Mr Business about that? Is it my own? That is their decision. The important thing is the objective, and we gave support.

When they said they wanted MOWAA, the Benin Empire expanded to Ghana and for me, from a marketing standpoint point it made sense for a museum that represented West Africa.

It made sense; rather than making it Benin, we can expand it. The important thing is that it is located, and the benefit will be enjoyed by Edo people.”