By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY — A former Commissioner in the administration of Godwin Obaseki and the State Organising Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, yesterday, said the Edo State government cannot claim ownership of the now disputed Museum of West African Arts, MOWAA, despite its contribution to the project, which he said was like other contributors to the project.

Ifaluyi-Isibor was reacting to a recent comment by an aide of Governor Monday Okpebholo in an interview, where he was quoted as saying that the museum was a property of the state government.

In the statement, the former commissioner said the state government was deliberately sending a wrong narrative about the project to the people of the state and Nigerians.

He added that the expected cost of the project as contained in the handover notes by the former government was N22.5 billion, “excluding cost of pre-construction archaeological work, running costs of organisation, energy costs, security costs and the construction of the Welcome Pavilion and Artist Studios and almost 90 per cent of these funds were to come through charity donations from Governments, organisations and individuals.”

He said the N4.1 billion being referred by the governor’s aide as cost for the entire MOWAA Institute was the original Naira Bill of Quantity for the first phase of civil works only.

“It does not include mechanical and electrical costs N7.5 billion (the climate controls/HVAC system alone cost approximately N1.5 billion), devaluation related cost increase: N2.5 billion, furniture and fitout costs estimated at N2 billion, architectural, engineering design and production fees N1.9 billion, upgrades to HVAC and security systems from original design and further phases of buildings: N4.5 billion. Total estimate to build and equip MOWAA Institute approximately N22.5 billion.”

Ifaluyi-Isibor said the funding came from German government and other EU member nations, individual board members of MOWAA, international foundations, including AG Leventis foundation, Gerda Henkel Foundation, as well as corporate entities such as Seplats and Azura Power, saying that all the groups distinctly gave more money in free will donations than the Edo State Government.

He said: “How does it make sense then for the state government to want to lay claims to the ownership of MOWAA when the EDSG gift makes up much less than 30 per cent of the entire cost.

“Even if EDSG gave 60 per cent of the cost plus land, it was given as a free will donation to a Charity Trust that was ultimately going to uplift the global image of Edo State, contribute immensely to its economic growth, create over 25,000 jobs and cause a leap of the GDP of the state.”

“It is just like the Okpebholo administration going to UBTH tomorrow to say that because the government gifted N2.5bn to UBTH and that it was built on government land, then it now owns the hospital. That you gave a big free will donation to your church, does that now make you the owner of the church?” he added.