Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has
picked up four directors of The National Theatre in Lagos for allegedly
embezzling government funds.
It was gathered that the four directors, including a woman, were
picked up at their Iganmu office for allegedly diverting “huge sums” of
revenue and statutory allocation into private use.
NAN learnt that the directors allegedly failed to remit revenues
realised from the use of facilities at the National Theatre into the
Federal Government Treasury Single Account (TSA).
According to sources, among government revenue allegedly embezzled
were N24 million annual rent paid by Nigerian Breweries for its 20
branded kiosks and N9 million paid for the use of National Theatre
during the “Lagos @ 50” celebrations.
NAN reports that the affected directors were whisked out of the
promises after they refused to honour EFCC invitation for questioning in
the office of the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of National
Theatre, Mr Tar Ukoh.
The intervention of Mrs Grace Gekpe, Permanent Secretary, Federal
Ministry of Information and Culture, on the telephone could not save the
officials from being whisked away by the EFCC operatives.
Addressing an Anti – Corruption Rally earlier in the premises, the National Theatre boss vowed to stamp out graft in the Agency.
“Culture must kill corruption before corruption kills culture, ” said Ukoh who also oversees the National Troupe of Nigeria.
Reacting to the development, Henry Udubuisi, Vice President, National
Theatre Chapter of AUPCTRE, said that the union was behind the
management’s decision to get rid the Agency of corruption.
AUPCTRE is the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services.
Udubuisi told NAN that the union would give its support to the new management to cleanse the Agency of a graft.
“The position of the union is that we are solidly behind the
management to fight corruption in National Theatre. We are also proud to
be associated with it.
“We are using this medium to appreciate the management on its ‘Change must begin with me project’.
“The Artistic Director means well; he wants to address some administrative impunity here.
“He is not victimising anybody, he is just asking them to be
accountable for what has happened for those who has questions to answer.
We need someone like him here to stamp out corruption.
“The union will never condone corruption; in fact, the union stands
against corruption and we are happy that the management key into our
vision,” he said.
Udubuisi said that the union had been in the fight against corruption
before the new management came in, adding that it was a step in the
right direction.
“The union has been fighting corruption even before the new
management came in, especially when there was a proposal on the sale of
the theatre.
“We fought against what we regarded to as administrative impunity
under the then Chief Executive but all that we got was dismissal.
“Most of the executive members of the union were dismissed for
standing against corruption and the sale of the only cultural iconic
building in Nigeria,” he said.