Controversial museum, hotel: Edo threatens Obaseki arrest

Obaseki

The Edo State House of Assembly ad hoc committee set up to investigate the Museum of West African Art and Radisson Hotel on Thursday said it has the power to issue an arrest warrant for former Governor Godwin Obaseki for refusing to appear before it.

The committee was constituted following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo for the assembly to probe the funding and ownership of the projects, including the extent of the government’s N3.8bn investment in MOWAA and N28bn in the Radisson Hotel.

Management of MOWAA had earlier declined to appear before the committee.

But the committee said it had the authority to ask the police to bring any individual before it to answer questions.

Other persons invited by the committee were former finance commissioner, Mr Joseph Eboigbe, former Attorney General, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Managing Director of Tilbury House Nigeria Limited, Mr Pramod Thorat, Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company, Mr Ugochukwu Anigbogu, Managing Director of Afrinvest Capital Limited, Managing Director of Meristem Trustees Limited, and Managing Director of Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd.

The committee stressed that those declining to appear could not claim their right to a fair hearing had been denied.

Chairman of the committee, Addeh Isibor, who spoke at a resumed sitting, said Obaseki and others sent letters through their lawyers, stating reasons for their absence. Punch