The immediate past Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has declined an invitation to appear before the Edo State House of Assembly’s ad-hoc committee investigating the funding and ownership of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel projects.
The committee was set up following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo, who asked the Assembly to probe the financing structure, ownership status, and extent of the state government’s investments — N3.8 billion in MOWAA and N28 billion in the Radisson Blu project.
Obaseki was scheduled to appear before the committee on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
In a letter signed by the committee’s secretary, Bekisu Oshone Wilson, several other key figures were also invited, including:
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Former Commissioner of Finance, Joseph Eboigbe
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Former Attorney General, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi
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Managing Director, Tilbury House Nigeria Ltd
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Pramod Thorat, Project Manager, Hospitality Investment & Management Company (HIMC)
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Ugochukwu Anigbogu, MD, Afrinvest Capital Ltd
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MDs of Meristem Trustees Ltd and Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd
The committee said the attendance of all invitees was necessary for its investigation.
However, Obaseki, through his media adviser Crusoe Osagie, rejected the summons, describing it as “offensive and laughable” because the matter is already before a court.
According to him, the Assembly should understand the legal implications of attempting to question him on an issue currently undergoing judicial consideration.
“It is sub judice for the former Governor to appear before the Edo Assembly in a matter already in court. Why subject him to another round of questioning on the same issues?” Osagie stated.
Similarly, the management of MOWAA has also declined to appear before the committee.
Its counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, argued that while the Assembly may make recommendations, the court will ultimately decide the matter
