BENIN CITY: Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Friday declared that his administration would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable in the alleged irregularities surrounding the Museum of West African Art MOWAA project.
He insisted that transparency and accountability remain central to his government’s agenda.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, in a statement said Senator Okpebholo made the vow when he received the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a courtesy visit to Government House, Benin City.
Governor Okpebholo said the state was not at war with investors but would not shield any individual involved in questionable dealings.
The governor expressed deep concern over what he described as deliberate exclusion of his administration from crucial information and developments relating to the project, including the arrival of foreign delegates for a commissioning ceremony the state knew nothing about.
He said documents available to the government showed that significant changes were made to MOWAA’s registration details just six days before his swearing-in, an action he described as “suspicious and troubling.”
Okpebholo said he had refrained from making public comments on the controversy but was compelled to address what he termed an “untenable situation,” stressing that the lack of transparency had raised serious questions about the project’s execution.
“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”, he said.
Responding, Musawa acknowledged that the federal government was aware of the longstanding issues surrounding MOWAA, describing them as “an original sin” that must be corrected to restore dignity to traditional institutions and protect Nigeria’s international cultural reputation.
She commended Edo State’s historic contributions to national culture and urged deeper collaboration with local traditional authorities, noting that they had been “grossly wronged.”
Musawa pledged the federal government’s readiness to support efforts aimed at finding a balanced resolution, one that respects history, strengthens cultural institutions and reinforces the credibility of Nigeria’s heritage diplomacy. “We want to find a solution that brings lasting succour,” she said.
The meeting was attended by senior state officials, including 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.
Governor Okpebholo assured that his administration would continue to defend the integrity of Edo State, uphold due process and work closely with the federal government, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to achieve a transparent and credible resolution of the MOWAA controversy and other matters affecting the state.
