Civil Societies Warn against Sale of National Theatre, Others

Rebecca Ejifoma

A coalition of over 25 Civil Society among others have joined forces to warn the federal government on its proposed sale of the country’s national historical assets in Lagos and any other state in the federation, which it claimed was to fund 2018 budget.

According to the Organisations, the Federal government had earlier planned to sell off Nigeria’s historical monument including: the National Theatre, Surulere and the Tafawa Balewa Square both in Lagos.

The Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Akinbode Oluwafemi, wondered what would happen when government has no more assets to sell. “After selling the national assets, what else? Probably they would resort to selling citizens to finance budgets.”

He decried, however, that it was appalling that Nigeria was selling everything. “So, History as a subject was yanked from our schools’ curriculum and nothing was done. Are we saying we are a people without history?”

Swiftly on the heels of this, the National President of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Benjamin Anthony, aired his views alongside others as against the sale. “The union is against the sale of the country’s national asset.”

The National Secretary-General of AUPCTRE, Yusuf Zambuk, described the sale of national assets as prodigality. He added: “If you have serious set of people in government, would they leave the old Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi to be rotting away? That can be converted to a hotel and generate capital therefrom.”

According to him, they would not accept such mantra of change the government was gradually bringing that would efface the history of the country. “We will not accept it. Daily, we hear of trillions and trillions. We stand firmly against the sale. We can’t give the history of Nigeria straight but we can give the history of corruption in this country straight.

Achike Chude of JAF, a coalition of about 25 CSOs, said the Nigerian government was peopled by a rapacious set with no interest other than theirs. “We will continue to keep the flag flying. We need to tell this government that some people are awake. These people can only lead us to the edge of the cliff.”

Therefore, they unanimously stood against the sale of both the National Theatre and the Tarawa Balewa Square. “As a government, you must increase the asset not diminish it,” Chude said.

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