The government is a body that represents the majority. The people choose a government via elections to guide the affairs of the state. The government is vested with the power to protect lives and properties. When these things are not fully fulfilled, the people can then question the government for not doing that which it was elected to do.
Recently in Nigeria, the government claimed it needed money to fund the 2018 budget. This was a budget the government drafted. While drafting it, we can conclude that they had ideas of how to fund the budget since budget is an estimation of expenditure for a period of time.
What I don’t get is if the government has explored all possibilities to fund the budget before concluding on selling National Art Theatre, Tafawa Balewa Square and other historical buildings.
The government seems to be forgetting the importance of Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). Tafawa Balewa Square represents the landmark on which Nigeria got the instrument of nationhood at a ceremony on the morning of 1st of October 1960 when the Union Jack was lowered and the Green-white-green National flag was raised and hosted. Transfer of power from colonial rule to independence took place at the Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos. Source.
I wonder why this historical building would even be considered as a property to be sold. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons History as a subject was cancelled in schools. The younger generations need to know about the roles our forefathers played before independence and how the power was transferred. A history without such historical place would be inaccurate.
The National Arts Theatre was specifically built to host the 2nd Black African Art Festival named the Festival of Art and Culture (FESTAC) in January/February 1977, where all Black people across the globe gathered to celebrate the uniqueness of the Black race.
FESTAC is a historic event in Nigeria and one that we can never forget. We will keep telling our kids about the event based on the materials we got about what happened during the cultural event. These buildings serve as symbols of our nationhood. A reminder of our independence and an event that brought Blacks together in one place.
It is not new to hear government talk about selling important monuments for reasons known to them. But they are forgetting the fact that these things are part of our history and they (the government) are merely custodians of these things.
Perhaps when they see ‘property of Federal Republic of Nigeria’ they assume they own it? But these thing belong to Nigerians including the government. Every part of our history must be preserved and protected. Not for anything but future references because our kids need to know about their history and heritage.
