Edo does not own any shares in the MOWAA-Okpebholo panel even though they contributed N3.8 billion

The Edo State Assets Verification Committee has stated that the state does not have any equity stake in the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), even though the previous administration of Godwin Obaseki contributed N3.8 billion to its establishment.

This was revealed at Thursday’s press briefing in Benin City by committee chairman Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe.

He asserted that the previous administration’s assertion that Edo State had no interest in the project since it had not invested in it was contradicted by the new information.

He claims that MOWAA, the Museum of West African Arts, is actually a private trust operating out of public domain.

The project is overseen minimally by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism.

“Despite spending N3.8 billion as a contribution, Edo State still does not have any equity stake in MOWAA,” he stated.

According to the committee chairman, who assured the public that the project will continue as planned, the group would consult with the governor to determine their next steps.

It is solely up to the governor to determine if the project will be advantageous to the state and, if so, to acquire control of it or not, he continued.

According to the furucinovel, in January of 2022, Obaseki had the Benin Central Hospital, which had been in operation for more than a century, torn down and replaced with a museum.

In November, when he officially unveiled the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Institute and Campus in Benin City, Obaseki reportedly revealed that he had dismantled the old hospital to construct the new and improved Stella Obasanjo Hospital, according to furucinovel.