Union moves against sale of National Theatre, others

Workers, under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees, AUPCTRE, has expressed shock over plans by the Federal Government to sell some national historical assets, saying that no nation sells its history.

Consequently, the workers stormed the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, to register their discontentment over its proposed sale and other national monuments across the country.

The aggrieved workers, who besieged the complex, blamed the current state of the edifice on deliberate negligence and corruption by successive managers.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, , Branch Chairman, AUPCTRE,Mr. Dayo Akogun said the workers rejected the planned sale of the theatre, lamenting that corruption and bad management were responsible for the current state of the edifice.

He said, “If the challenges in the system are tackled, the National Theatre can work effectively and generate funds. We need managers that will help us attract patronage rather than promote its sale.”

Also, Mr Dare Durosimi, Lagos State Chairman, Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria, RATTAWU, said government should rather tackle challenges affecting the monument instead of selling it.

He noted that RATTAWU was not in support of the proposed sale; and would support AUPCTRE’s decision to campaign against it.

According to AUPCTRE, the proposed sale of national historical assets to fund the 2018 budget, will be a disservice to the founding fathers of the country and future generations, and further pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison the idea and look for other means to fund the budget.

Speaking through Mr Yusuf Zambuk, the General Secretary, in a statement in Abuja, AUPCTRE, said the concept of funding national budget from sales of public assets was a “strange phenomenon in public administration”, particularly in budgeting.

According to him, national historical assets had immense and cultural significance to the nation, especially now that the Federal Government was focusing more on economic diversification.

AUPCTRE General Secretary named affected historical assets to include the National Arts Theatre Iganmu, Lagos, and Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos among others.

The Federal Government had, through the Director-General of Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, told the House of Representatives Committee on Finance and Appropriation on Nov. 28, that the Federal Government had concluded plans to sell the Tafawa Balewa Square and the National Arts Theatre.

The aim, he said, is to generate sufficient revenue to finance the country’s annual budgets for the next three years (2018-2020).

Joy Ekeke