Museum of West African Art, Benin City. Photo: wearemowaa.org
The Special Committee on the Museum of West African Art on Thursday submitted its report to the Edo State Government, noting that the state invested N3.8bn in the project.
The committee, headed by a former governor of Edo State and Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, was given the mandate to verify the ownership status of MOWAA.
In the report, Oshiomhole noted that the Edo State Government under the administration of Godwin Obaseki spent a total of N3.8bn of taxpayers’ money on the MOWAA project, changing the name of the museum several times for personal reasons.
In a statement on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele, the committee chairman said the sustained efforts and campaign by the Oba of Benin for the return of the stolen Benin artefacts led to an agreement to return the artefacts, noting that it opened discussions on building a Royal Museum to house them.
