National Theatre management says Kalejaiye’s video is outright falsehood
The Management of the National Theatre, has responded to a video by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, alleging corruption against the management of the outfit.
According to thebpress statement released on Wednesday, the Natiinal Theatre management under the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Ododo, said Chief Kalejaiye’s video, was outright falsehood and misinformation and a calculated attempt to smear or malign the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer and Management of the National Theatre.
The statement said Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye became disgruntled with the management of the National Theatre because his contract to toll the gates of the National Theatre was terminated in 2022 due to the advancement of the massive renovation and redevelopment works at the National Theatre Complex.
Read full statement
The attention of the management of the National Theatre has been drawn to a video made by one Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye where he levelled allegations of corruption against the management of the National Theatre. The Management of the National Theatre wishes to respond as follows:
That the National Theatre is a parastatal of the Federal Government Established by an act of the National Assembly with a Governing Board that oversees its affairs. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy. It is therefore subject to the bureaucracy, Public Service Rules and extant circulars of the Federal Government regarding administration and procedures for doing government business or conducting the activities/affairs of government.
b. That apart from being a witch-hunt or pursuit of personal vendetta by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye who became disgruntled with the management of the National Theatre because his contract to toll the gates of the National Theatre was terminated in 2022 due to the advancement of the massive renovation and redevelopment works at the National Theatre Complex, the video is based on outright falsehood and misinformation and his calculated attempts to smear or malign the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer and Management of the National Theatre.
c. That in 2021 the Federal Government of Nigeria entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Bankers Committee of Nigeria led by the Central Bank of Nigeria pursuant to which the Bankers’ Committee, through their contractor, SANEF Creatives Limited commenced massive rehabilitation and redevelopment of the National Theatre Complex which work is still ongoing.
d. That the contractor, SANEF Creatives Ltd, through the bankers committee has the contractual mandate to “remove and cart away” obsolete materials and items where necessary and replace same with modern and state of the art materials and items.
e. That notwithstanding the mandate given to the Contractors as aforesaid, the management sought understanding that some removable obsolete materials and items must be dealt with in accordance with government regulations, rules and extant circulars in order to ensure transparency, accountability and also earn revenue for government. Therefore, most removable obsolete materials and items were put together, properly documented (in an inventory) and auctioned in accordance with government regulations. All the money realized from the public auction of the said obsolete materials and item was paid directly into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federation contrary to the claims made by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye. Meanwhile all usable materials and items removed from the building are documented and kept in the store.
f. That it is true that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation carried out an audit of the National Theatre in 2021 (not 2020 as Chief Kalejaiye claimed) in the discharge of their routine and statutory responsibility/duties, raised some queries to which they requested for answers. The Management has since submitted to the Office of the Auditor-General comprehensive and elaborate answers to all the queries raised by the Office of the Auditor- General and till date we have not received any “indictment” from the said Office as falsely portrayed by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye in his video. An audit query is NOT an indictment but an observation that requires better explanation.
g. That we are not aware of any petition written to the ICPC either by the Chairman of RATTAWU, National Theatre Chapter. But we are aware of the activities of a faceless group called the “Concerned Stakeholders of the National Theatre” which has been bullying and maligning the reputation of the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer and Management of the National Theatre through the use of outright falsehood and misinformation over a considerable long period of time in the social media. Indeed, some staff of the National Theatre who are undergoing disciplinary actions for series of acts of gross misconduct, we now know, are being used by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye to bring the National Theatre into disrepute. We have reported them to higher authorities for appropriate disciplinary actions, which are being awaited.
h. That the National Theatre is not the custodian of the FESTAC 77 artefacts and therefore management of the National Theatre could not have been in any position to sell them as mischievously represented in the video by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye. The few artworks available at the National Theatre are either standing or fixed to or engraved on the walls of the iconic building to highlight its artistic and cultural expression and significance. It is unfortunate that in his desperation to tell lies Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye does not realise that there are agencies of government that are specifically saddled with the responsibility to take charge and custody of national artefacts and FESTAC 77 artworks.
I. It is important to put on record by reiterating the fact that National Theatre had a memorandum of understanding with KA-K Integrated System owned by Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye that authorized the company to collect tolls from motorists entering and exiting the National Theatre. But due to the ongoing massive renovation and redevelopment work which has turned the whole of National Theatre Complex into a construction site, there is a serious public access restriction to the National Theatre Premises which led to the termination of the tolling exercise by KA-K Integrated System two weeks to its expiration, as directed. Chief Kalejaiye became aggrieved by this action and wrote several letters to the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of National Theatre threatening him to open the gates and restore the tolling exercise or there would be no peace at the National Theatre. He carried out his threats on 5th October 2022 when he brought armed thugs and vandalized the gates of the National Theatre and forcefully restore his ticketers/workers to resume the tolling exercise. It took the intervention of the Nigeria Police, Iponri Division to remove the ticketers or workers from the gates with strict warning not to toll the gates again. A formal report on this assault on Federal Government property is currently before the Nigeria Police for investigation and further necessary action. He has also taken the National Theatre to Court contesting the termination of the tolling operations.
J. Earlier in August 2020, Chief Kalejaiye, through his KA-K Integrated System, went into an illegal land lease deal to defraud the National Theatre collaborating with some staff of the Organization. The Governing Board of the National Theatre investigated the matter, tried the staff involved and found them guilty. Punishments were recommended and approved by the board according to the Public Service Rules of the Federation. This obviously didn’t go down well with Chief Kalejaiye and his collaborators who have since been trying to get back at the Management of the National Theatre. The foundation of all of these transactions predates the current management.K.
K. Since these incidences, Chief Kalejaiye has issued threat letters to the General Manager and management stating emphatically that “the battle line is drawn”. He continued to launch a smear campaign (Campaign of Calumny) against the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer and management of the National Theatre using a faceless group called the “concerned stakeholders” and some staff members of the National Theatre. This malicious but false, fabricated and deceitful video is his latest offering that must be outrightly disregarded. Surely, the law will take its course.
While we remain committed and determined to protect the National Theatre against the evil machinations of Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye and his collaborators, we urge Nigerians and the general public to disregard the falsehood and misinformation being peddled around by him on social media and other platforms.”