Lagos traditional ruler commends Tinubu for appointing Akerele as National Theatre’s DG

The traditional ruler of Otumara community in the Lagos Mainland of the state, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Tola Akerele as the new Director General of the National Theatre.

Kalejaiye, who described Akerele’s appointment by the president as a round peg in a round hole, tasked the new helmsman of the National Theatre to rebuild the disintegrated workforce and reconcile all aggrieved parties including the leadership of the union.

He also urged the new director-general to investigate allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds levelled against the past administration of the parastatal.

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 to bring erring officers to justice and recover all the stolen and illegally disposed items of the parastatal.

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 the office, I want to specially task the DG, of National Theatre to make it a point of duty to investigate the past administration 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 to recover all the stolen items and artefacts including monies that were allegedly stolen through unapproved leasing of land of the parastatal.

“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.”