Obaseki faces Edo panel Dec 4 over museum, hotel projects
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The Edo State House of Assembly ad hoc committee investigating the Museum of West African Art and the Radisson Hotel project has summoned former Governor Godwin Obaseki for questioning.
The invitation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the committee’s secretary, Bekisu Oshone, who said Obaseki and other invitees are expected to appear before the lawmakers on December 4.
Also summoned are former Commissioner for Finance, Joseph Eboigbe; former Attorney General, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi; MOWAA Director, Philip Iheanacho; and the Managing Director of Tilbury House Nigeria Limited.
Others include the Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company, Pramod Thorat; Managing Director of Afrinvest Capital Limited, Ugochukwu Anigbogu; the Managing Director of Meristem Trustees Limited; and the Managing Director of Emerging Africa Trustees Limited.
The Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee constituted to investigate the Museum of West African Arts and the Radisson Hotel invites former Governor Godwin Obaseki and 10 others/organisations to appear before the committee for a public hearing on December 4,” the statement read.
Oshone added that the appearance of Obaseki and the others was crucial to the legislature’s ongoing probe, particularly regarding the funding structure of the Radisson Hotel project.
Both MOWAA and the Radisson Hotel were conceptualised under Obaseki’s administration. While the first phase of MOWAA has been completed, the hotel project is nearing completion.
The reports that an exhibition at the museum turned chaotic on November 9 when angry protesters stormed the venue, forcing the high-profile event to be shut down abruptly.
What was meant to be a private preview for investors, artists, and foreign envoys descended into panic after protesters—claiming the museum belonged to the Oba of Benin—breached parts of the premises.
Viral footage showed foreign dignitaries being evacuated under tight security. Ambassadors from the European Union, Germany, and other international guests were reportedly trapped for some time, raising concerns about their safety.
