By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The traditional ruler of Otumara Community in the Lagos Mainland of the state, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Tola Akerele as Director General of the National Theatre, DG.

Kalejaiye, however, urged the newly appointed DG to investigate allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds leveled against the outgoing General Manager of the parastatal, Prof Sunday Ododo, to bring erring officers to justice and particularly recovering all the parastatal’s stolen and illegally disposed items.

The monarch also tasked Akerele with rebuilding the disintegrated and aggrieved workforce and reconciling all aggrieved parties, including the union leadership.

Recall that the traditional ruler has been leading the call for the investigation of the activities of Ododo-led management, whose administration he alleged “is enmeshed in massive corruption, illegal auctioning of assets, artefacts and movable items of the parastatal, suppression, and intimidation of workers’ union who openly confront his atrocities.”

According to Kalejaiye, several petitions have been written to the security agencies and anti-graft agencies, including the DSS, ICPC, and the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, in an effort to end the oppressive and corrupt regime of the erstwhile GM, Prof Ododo.

Therefore, he charged the new DG with charting a new beginning for the parastatal workers by setting up a probe panel to investigate all the allegations, with a view to bringing erring officers to justice and, importantly, recovering all the stolen and illegally disposed items of the parastatal.

Kalejaiye specifically requested the new DG to launch an inquiry into how the lathe, drilling, and milling machines disappeared from the machine room under the former GM’s watch.

“These three machines can generate millions of naira for the parastatal monthly if managed properly,’ he said.

Kalejaiye said, “I want to commend President Bola Tinubu for listening to the yearnings of Nigerians who have been calling for a change in the leadership of the National Theatre consequent to the massive corruption and looting of the parastatal’s assets.

“Also, I want to thank the President for appointing Tola Akerele and 10 others as DG for the parastatals under the Ministry of Arts and Culture. I say the appointment cannot come at a better time.

“Meanwhile, as the new appointees settle in the office, I want to especially task the DG, National Theatre, to make it a point of duty to investigate the outgone GM of the parastatal, Prof Sunday Ododo, for corruption and illegal auctioning of the assets of the parastatal.

“Also, the allegation of lack of openness and due process in the running of the affairs and sales of the properties of the parastatal against the management by the workers’ Union, RATTAWU, and the Concerned Stakeholders should also be looked into.

“This should be done to recover all the stolen items and artifacts, including monies allegedly stolen through the unapproved leasing of the parastatal’s land.

“It is also necessary to give respite and assurance to the workers’ union who have been subjected to untold harassment and intimidation by the erstwhile GM.

“I cannot but also state that the audit reports of activities and finances of the National Theatre conducted by the office of the Auditor-General has been left unimplemented for so long. I am therefore appealing to the new DG to find a need in implementing this all-important document.”

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