FG lost over N56,070bn revenue in 5 years from shut down of National Theatre, Lagos-workers

… workers call on PBAT, National Assembly for intervention

By allcitynews.ng

Federal Government has lost over N56,070bn revenue in five years based on the shut down of National Theatre, Lagos, Nigeria.

Workers in Creative and Art in National Theatre under the aegis of Joint Union Congress comprising of two in-house unions,
Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), have staged
staged protest over the continued closure of the National Theatre, five years after completion of renovation work.

The protest, organised by Joint Union Congress (JUC) made up of
Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) affiliates of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) described the delay in reopening the offices as act of insincerity on the part of government, indicting government officials of systemic step to give out the national asset against the promise made before the renovation.

They further said that they have seen strange movements around the premises which is showing that they want to concession the National to through the back door.

Speaking exclusively with allcitynews.ng, one of the officials of the workers in the creative arts industry, who did not want his name in print reiterated how the National Theatre, Headquarters, Iganmu, Lagos State has been losing billions of Naira since the workers were shut out and have been compelled to be conducting official work under the trees.

“We have lost above N56.070 billion since we have been operating under trees. Although we are still making revenue while operating under trees, yet, government has lost N56.080 billion in the last five years.
“For example, we used to generate N2m daily through use of Banquet Hall. We used to generate N1.8m, N3.2m two Exhibition Halls. From use of Cinema Hall one and two, we used to generate N800,000. For use of VIP Lodge, we used to make N1m daily. For Lobby and Lawns, we used to make millions on daily basis. But all these revenue making instruments have been shut down.”

In addition to the grievances, the statement signed by State Assign Secretary of AUPCTRE, Federal Organ, Comrade Omotola Babatunde and RATTAWU State Acting Secretary, Comrade Bimbola Oluyeye, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Assembly members to save the edifice from going the same way Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and other national assets went after privatisation.

According to Comrade Adebayo Idowu, the representative of NLC Lagos Council Chairman, Comrade Funmi Sessi, he assured that NLC is taking over the struggle to forestall any privatisation.

“The promise made by the former Minister, Lai Mohammed which assured us that the workers would be returned to their offices after renovation should be followed. They want to secretly do what will cause trouble by concessioning which will not lead  to  the purpose of set up of National Theatre,” Adebayo Idowu said.

Promising to ground the activities of the National Theatre if the management of National Theatre or the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy should go behind the back door to concession the Theatre.

On his part, AUPCTRE, Federal Organ, Lagos,
Comrade Omodolapo Olatunji, “it is baffling to know that renovation which was pencilled down to cost N25 billion eventually jumped to N100 billion. And after that work, they now want to jettison their earlier idea, which was to return all workers back to their respective offices after the renovation.

“We have been working under trees and still generating revenue for government. We are tired of working under the trees. We want to go back into our offices as was promised by the former Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Mohammed assured us that we shall go back to our offices after the work, now we are calling on government to keep and honour that promise.”

Efforts to get the reaction from the PRO Creative Art could not sail through as she was said to be in zoom meeting as such will not be able to talk to the press.

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