Five years after the closure of the Abuja Arts Village, the African Arts and Culture Heritage Association (ACCHA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and allow for the reopening of the center.
The association is particularly asking the president to direct the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Runsewe to open the Abuja Arts and Craft Village to allow its members to continue with their trade.
The members stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday.
The President of AACHA, Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, alleged that Runsewe had deliberately halted the lawful businesses of many in the area with allegations of social vices such as drug trafficking in the center.
“On the night of 16 December 2017, mysterious fire burnt down some of the shops in the village.
”Prior to that, Runsewe banned people from workimg beyond 6p.m and that no one should stay there after 7p.m.
“While we were making effort to help those whose shops were burnt, Mr Runsewe was stylishly pushing us out in the guise of renovation, which five years after, he did not do.
“Our members were arrested and locked up at SARS facility without committing any crime. Corporate Affairs Commission was written to withdraw and cancel our certificate of incorporation. All these were done to discredit us and give us bad name.
“For the past five years, some of our members have lost their lives, because, their source of livelihood has been locked up in the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village by Mr Runsewe. We have made several peaceful efforts but to no avail.
“We are begging President Muhammadu Buhari to please prevail on Mr Runsewe to open the gates of the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village to allow our members go back and continue their works to feed their families, as it has not been easy,” Chukwumezie said.
According to Chukwumezie, Runsewe had defied a court order which directed him not to close down the center on two occasions in 2017 and 2018.
“Runsewe has defiled a court order of 15th December 2017 and 7th February, 2018 not to lock the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village; and another judgement on 9th January, 2020 that ordered that he be remanded in Kuje Prisons for contempt of court.
“However, we plan to invoke these court orders and judgement and also caution him not to make any funny move on the village,” the AACHA President said.
