The Edo State House of Assembly has escalated its investigation into two major projects from the previous administration, threatening to use police power to compel the appearance of former Governor Godwin Obaseki and several other key figures.
Committee Issues Ultimatum After Snub
An ad-hoc committee of the Edo State House of Assembly, tasked with probing the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and the Radisson Hotel project, has declared its readiness to issue arrest warrants. This drastic step follows the refusal of former Governor Godwin Obaseki and other invited persons to appear before the panel. The committee resumed its sitting on 4 December 2025 with Chairman Addeh Isibor expressing strong dissatisfaction with the absentees.
The panel was established at the request of the current state governor, Monday Okpebholo, to investigate the funding and ownership structures of the two projects. A central focus of the inquiry is the extent of the state government's financial involvement, which includes a reported N3.8 billion investment in MOWAA and a staggering N28 billion in the Radisson Hotel development.
Who Else Was Invited?
Besides Obaseki, the committee summoned a list of high-profile individuals linked to the projects. Those invited include:
- Joseph Eboigbe, former Edo State Finance Commissioner.
- Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, former Attorney General of Edo State.
- Pramod Thorat, Managing Director of Tilbury House Nigeria Limited.
- Ugochukwu Anigbogu, Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company (HIMC).
- Managing Directors of Afrinvest Capital Limited, Meristem Trustees Limited, and Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd.
According to Isibor, the invitees communicated their refusal to attend through their lawyers, with Obaseki specifically citing ongoing lawsuits in various courts concerning MOWAA as his reason for absence.
"No Court Can Stop Our Sitting" - Committee Chairman
Chairman Addeh Isibor firmly rejected the legal grounds presented for the non-appearance. He emphasized the constitutional mandate of the assembly to conduct investigations, particularly on matters where it holds the power of appropriation. "We know the position of the law. We are not dunces but cerebral people," Isibor stated during the sitting.
He argued that the filing of a lawsuit does not automatically halt the committee's proceedings, especially since the court cases were initiated after the public hearing had already commenced. "No judge can stop our sitting. We will reach a decision on the matter," he asserted. Isibor stressed that the probe is a fact-finding mission, not an attempt to witch-hunt anyone, and that the final report would be based solely on facts. He warned that by choosing not to participate, the individuals cannot later claim they were denied the right to a fair hearing.
The committee chairman reiterated that the House possesses the authority to direct the police to bring any person before it to answer questions, signaling that the threat of arrest warrants is a real and imminent possibility if the snub continues.
