Lagos traditional ruler lauds Tinubu, urges new National Theatre DG to probe Ododo’s administration

The traditional ruler of Otumara community in the Lagos Mainland of the state, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has urged the newly appointed Director General of the National Theatre, Tola Akerele to investigate allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds levelled against the outgoing General Manager of the parastatal, Prof Sunday Ododo.

While commending President Bola Tinubu for appointing Akerele and 10 other Director Generals for various federal parastatals, Kalejaiye tasked the new helmsman of the National Theatre to rebuild the disintegrated and aggrieved workforce.

He urged the new helmsman to reconcile all aggrieved parties including the leadership of the union.

It will be recall that the traditional ruler has been leading the call for the investigation of the activities of Prof Sunday Ododo led management whose administration he alleged is enmeshed in massive corruption, illegal auctioning of assets, artefacts and movable items of the parastatal and suppression and intimidation of workers’ union who openly confront his atrocities.

According to Kalejaiye, several petitions have been written to the security agencies and the anti-graft agencies including the DSS, ICPC and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy in an effort to bring to an end the oppressive and corrupt regime of the erstwhile GM, Prof Ododo.

He therefore charged the new DG to chart a new beginning for workers of the parastatal by setting up a probe panel to look into all the allegations with a view to bringing erring officers to justice and recover all the stolen and illegally disposed items of the parastatal.

The traditional ruler requested the new DG to specially launch an inquiry into how the lathe, drilling and milling machines disappeared from the machine room under the watch of the former GM.

These three machines, he said, are capable of generating millions of naira for the parastatal monthly if managed properly.

He said, “I want to commend President Bola Tinubu for listening to the yearnings of Nigerians who have been calling for a change in the leadership of the National Theatre consequent to the massive corruption and looting of the assets of the parastatal.

“Also, I want to appreciate the President for the appointment of Tola Akerele and 10 others as DG for the parastatals under the Ministry of Arts and Culture. To this, I say the appointment cannot come at a better time.

“Meanwhile as the new appointees settle in office, I want to specially task the DG, National Theatre to make it a point of duty to investigate the outgone GM of the parastatal, Prof Sunday Ododo for corruption and illegal auctioning of the assets of the parastatal.

“Also the allegation of lack of openness and due process in the running of the affairs and sales of the properties of the parastatal against the management by the workers’ Union, RATTAWU and the Concerned Stakeholders should also be looked into.

“This should be done with a view to recovering all the stolen items and artefacts including monies that were allegedly stolen through unapproved leasing of land of the parastatal”.

Kalejaiye added “It is also necessary to give respite and assurance to the workers’ union who have so far being subjected to untold harassment and intimidation by the erstwhile GM.

“I cannot but also state that the audit reports of activities and finances of the National Theatre conducted by the office of the Auditor-General has been left unimplemented for so long. I am therefore appealing to the new DG to find a need in implementing this all-important document.”