Labour yesterday protested “last-minute secret moves” to sell the National Theatre.
A minister and some members of the management of the National Theatre have been implicated in the under-the-table deal.
But a highly-placed source in the Bureau of Public Enterprises said the ongoing bid for the theatre was illegal because the agency had stayed action on the sale of the edifice.
The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) raised the alarm in a petition to the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr Edem Duke.
In the petition, signed by its Head of Department for Industrial Relations, Comrade Emmanuel Ayeoribe, the workers expressed concerns over “the plot to sack” the agency’s workers.
The union vowed to resist the impending sack of its members.
Following a row over plans by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation to turn the complex into a hotel, the House of Representatives on April 8, 2013 directed Duke to stay further action on the concession.
The ministry, however, has defied the National Assembly by resuscitating the bid for the National Theatre.
AUPCTRE, in its petition, said it would not accept any underhand bidding.
The petitioners said some management members met “to quickly formalise the sale of the land before May 29.
“All the documents of the transactions are back dated to give the impression that it took place several months before the hand over to the incoming government.”
The workers said a source at a meeting held at the National Theatre on Tuesday said more sack was on the way for staff suspected to be leaking this information”.
“Some of the documents in our possession include the list of those who travelled on a jamboree to Dubai, London and South Africa on the pretext of going for road shows. The jamboree cost over N40 million.
“A letter demanding $50,000 from a company which merely requires permission to site a landing station of a means of transportation within the National Theatre.
“There are also underhand dealings in the lease of land to CCECC, the company handling the Lagos light train services”.
The board members are said to be unaware of the plot to sell the national edifice.”
A highly-placed source in BPE, who spoke in confidence, said: “As far as our records are concerned, we have stayed action on the sale of the National Theatre.”
The theatre was inaugurated on September 30, 1976 by the then Military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo.
It was opened five months before the hosting of the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) in January/February 1977.
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