NATIONAL MUSEUM: Breaking all the rules
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday, July 3, 2008

•A Yoruba traditional worship object among exhibits inside gallery of NM Abuja. PHOTOS: MAURICE ARCHIBONG

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Since the museum is the central bank of a nation’s culture, every country’s capital boasts at least one major repository. The US capital, Washington DC is home to The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum chain. The British capital London has, among other museums, British Museums, while Berlin, seat of the German government boasts 167 museums.

Closer home, the Ghanaian capital Accra has at least three major museums, including Ghana Museums and Museum of Science and Technology both standing along Barnes Road. In Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, we also visited the local Museum of Music (Musee de la Musique).

Unfortunately, for about 17 years since the Nigerian capital relocated to Abuja in December 1991, that city had no museum. For almost two decades, Nigeria was therefore possibly the only country of this world without a museum in its capital. To save Nigeria further embarrassment, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) decided to establish a gallery in Abuja. In doing so, however, the NCMM broke all the rules.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM), which is the umbrella body of all the museums in the world, defines a museum as "A non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment. (...)." Although museum definition varies from country to country, it is generally agreed that such an institution must be a permanent structure.

NCMM Headquarters in temporary home
However, the headquarters of the NCMM is located in a rented building, at 16 Cotonou Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja. Unfortunately, since the NCMM hub moved into this building, MicCom House, in the mid-1990s, millions of naira have been burnt as rental on this private property. Museum students of the puritan mould are unanimous that any museum building must have been specifically designed and built for that purpose. There is no doubt that MicCom House was not originally designed to host a museum. This explains why museologists and museographers like Lagos Curator, Ronke Ashaye and Collins Onuosa were flown from Lagos to see to what extent available space could be adapted for a gallery. While both workers’ efforts yielded commendable results, the fact remains that the new gallery in Abuja is housed in a temporary structure.

Our latest encounter with Mr. Iranola Akingun-Roberts, recently out gone acting DG of the NCMM, took place on May 30, 2008 at the Commission’s headquarters. Hear him: “When we move, we’ll take our belongings along. We are considering getting another rented, larger and more central place to make a real museum.” In other words, National Museum Abuja may no longer qualify for its name, for while a cultural centre can move from place to place or even close shop forever, a museum is a “permanent” structure. According to the late Prof. G. Ellis Burcaw, author of “Introduction to Museum Work,” a museum is different from every other cultural centre, because while the latter may move or relocate, a museum, as a rule, is a permanent place.

New wine in old bottle
Furthermore, the NCMM has probably broken all records with the assumption of office last June 18, 2008 of a new acting Director General (DG). The new Ag DG of the beleaguered NCMM is Mr. Ochi Achinivu, a Director of the Research, Planning and Statistics unit of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation. Mr. Achinivu is the fourth person to assume leadership of the NCMM in less than three years. In anagrammed order, Achinivu, Dr. Joseph Eboreime, Mr. Iranola Akingun-Roberts and Chief Nze Okoro make up the quartet. Interestingly, the NCMM, which is 65 years old this year, had barely seven chiefs in its first 61 years of existence!

Achinivu took over from Mr. Iranola Akingun-Roberts, who similarly held fort in acting capacity. Critics said Akingun-Roberts was an outsider and simply could not understand what it entails to run a museum. To be candid, Akingun-Roberts probably infuriated museum puritans with the opening of a gallery in the NCMM headquarters, which is housed in rented property. Detractors of the immediate-past acting DG are also quick to refer to flouting of presidential directive to return unspent vote to the federal treasury, which the team led by Akingun-Roberts allegedly failed to do. In any case, the consensus is that Akingun-Roberts probably erred on the side of diligence. Another criticism leveled against the out gone DG was that he has clocked the compulsory retirement age and should therefore go home.

Albeit, the removal of Mr. Akingun-Roberts came as a shock to Nigerian Museum industry watchers, who believed he recorded several groundbreaking achievements, such as detection of almost 260 ghost workers, culminating in a monthly saving of N3 million during his tenure as NCMM helmsman. Other legacies of the Akingun-Roberts’ leadership include an almost total reinvention of National Museum, Ile-Ife, payment of outstanding salary arrears he inherited from the previous management and commencement of documentation of the NCMM collections nationwide.

Reliable sources indicate the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN) was not directly involved in the replacement of the NCMM chief. According to someone, who is close to the corridors of power, “Some power-brokers were behind the appointment of the new acting DG.”

Such views are buttressed by the fact that the Minister, Prince Adetokunbo, was out of the country at the time, according to one of his aides, who said he would reach the Senior Advocate of Nigeria for responses to some questions we sought answers to.

Critics believe the appointment of Achinivu, albeit in acting capacity, is akin to chasing the shadow instead of the substance. The crux of the matter is that in a matter of weeks, the NCMM would clock a year since the last substantive team led by Dr. Eboreime, was sent on compulsory leave. As things stand, anxiety again reigns supreme at the NCMM.

To worsen matters, the new acting DG is hardly around the NCMM headquarters. Hear the quip of some cynics; “The man (Mr. Achinivu) has relocated the NCMM headquarters to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation.”

Apparently, Achinivu’s appointment has merely worsened the lingering uncertainties surrounding the fate of the careers of those that made up the Eboreime-led team. As we pointed out in a previous story, a blanket sanction of all the members of the Eboreime-led management would be tantamount to punishing some innocent ones in the course of penalizing perceived sinners. Moreover, since that team also included excellent professional hands, such as Mr. Mayo Adediran and Dr. Seyi Hambolu, it would be akin to throwing out precious babies with the bath water, if everyone that made up the Eboreime-led management were to be swept away.

Analysts are convinced the NCMM has lost more than it has gained since some members of the Eboreime-led hierarchy were asked to stay home.

Meanwhile, Achinivu takes over an institution racked by mistrust and suspicion among many top-echelon workers. Fortunately for Achinivu, he would not be under intense pressure to find an urgent solution to the pitiable plight of retired NCMM employees, who waited roughly two years without payment of severance benefits and other dues: Akingun-Roberts offset 10 months dues in two installments. Paradoxically, the second installment (four months wages) was paid barely three weeks before the retiree was asked to take a bow.

When contacted, Akingun-Roberts calmly confirmed he had been relieved of the office of NCMM DG. There were no traces of bitterness in his voice, and we could recall his response to our query as to what he would do, if the suspended management he succeeded were to be recalled: “If those, who believed I should hold fort think they finally found a good enough team, and ask me to take a bow, why not?”
The key question now is, why haven’t several reports by different panels set up to probe the NCMM been implemented? If the former leaders were not found wanting, why haven’t they been reinstated? If the report indicted some people, why have such supposed guilty ones not been sanctioned?

Minister in Lagos
Two weeks ago, precisely on Thursday June 26, Culture and Tourism Minister Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN) was the cynosure at a media session held at the National Theatre, Lagos. Prince Adetokunbo’s companions at the National Theatre meeting, which was attended by notable culture bigwigs like Yemisi Shylon, Sam Olagbaju, Rasheed Gbadamosi and Frank Okonta, among other stakeholders, included the Minister of State Culture and Tourism, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong and the Permanent Secretary, Nuruman Barau Dambatta.

In a nutshell, the minister came to Lagos to, among others, brief the media on programmes for 2008 as well as achievements recorded since he assumed office about a year ago. Possibly the most important of the ministry’s future programmes is the long-awaited legal teeth backing operations of some of its agencies. The minister pointed this out, when he intoned that future goals may remain elusive, if a legal framework was not put in place to strengthen various organs of the ministry.

Among laudable strides recorded over the last 12 months, the minister listed the launch and implementation of the National Tourism Master-plan, the hosting of Abuja Carnival 2007, introduction of a compulsory civic education in primary and secondary schools across the country and the implementation of the Humility in Service Programme (Servant leadership) of government.
The minister had cited “the re-branding and repositioning of the museum sub-sector,” among his achievements but observers found this vague, to say the least. For example, the long list of achievements reeled out by Prince Adetokunbo did not dispel the seething rumours of mismanagement or misappropriation of museum workers’ pension’s fund. Perhaps, his ministry could take credit for the detection of almost 260 ghost workers, which culminated in a monthly savings of N3 million for the NCMM. However, there was silence on this aspect, possibly to avoid having to explain the replacement of the former acting DG of the NCMM, who helped to expose the apparitional workforce.

Fires Achinivu has to put out
Mr. Achinivu would have his hands full: Speculation that over N100 million pension funds were misappropriated by some NCMM top brasses refuse to evaporate. Some of those mentioned in connection with the alleged pension fund scam are among those sent on suspension.

Can he access stuck museum grant?
Around 2005, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku had visited National Museum, Lagos. Apparently disturbed by what he saw of the state of that repository, Chief Anyaoku had sent a memo to then President Olusegun Obasanjo to help salvage Nigeria’s house of heritage.

In response, Chief Obasanjo had about April 2007 voted N500 million for the rehabilitation of National Museums. Interestingly, about the same time that Chief Anyaoku wrote to Obasanjo, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore had also cried out on crippling impecuniosities afflicting the National Archives. For inexplicable reasons, the palliatives to each of the NCMM and The National Archives were lumped together. Expectedly, difficulties arose as to accessing the money, said to be N750 million.

Consequently, it would appear that vote may never be remitted, going by reliable sources, which revealed the money was also caught up by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s directive that all unspent votes be returned to the treasury.

Epilogue
There is no doubt that Prince Adetokunbo Kayode has brought about marked improvements in Nigeria’s Culture and Tourism sectors. In the last 12 months or so, many agencies of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation have recorded gigantic strides, but the minister must now resolve the lingering crisis at the NCMM once and for all.