The lingering crisis in the Centre for Black And African Arts & Civilization (CBAAC), continues to witness twists. The Centre’s Director-General, Chief Ferdinand Anikwe who is facing allegations of corruption, nepotism and political victimization, has moved against the whistle blower, Mrs Nkechi Agubuzor by unilaterally suspending her from office.
Mrs Agubuzor who is the Secretary of the CBAAC Board was suspended by Anikwe for blowing the whistle on his activities. In a strongly-worded petition to the Inspector-General of Police Solomom Arase, dated Tuesday August 11, 2015, Mrs Agubuzor accused Anikwe of irregular employment and placement of several of his kinsmen against the Federal Character principle. She referred to the case of one Mrs. Nwora Calista Obiageli whom he has now deployed as her replacement as Board Secretary. A relation of his from the same home-town in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu state, the lady who does not boast cognate experience, was initially placed on grade level 10, before quickly being moved to grade level 12, within one (1) month on the instruction of the Director-General, even when she is still on probation.
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| Nkechi Agubuzor |
Anikwe who assumed office on the 7th September, 2014, at the time the workforce of the organization stood at 184 staff members, has allegedly employed over 40 (forty) additional staff members made up mainly of members of his immediate family, friends and acquaintances from his Ezeagu LGA of Enugu state. This is clearly against the Federal Character principle.
The petitioner said, without the Board’s approval, Anikwe also opened a branch of the CBAAC in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka without the formal approval of the University Senate and the necessary documentations defining the relationship. This was done in a bid to provide a home comfort zone for some of the candidates from his Ezeagu community, Enugu state, including his son Mr. Anikwe Obinna Franklin, who is not resident in Lagos.
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| Chief Ferdinand Anikwe |
The DG had hurriedly approved that the sum of one million, four hundred and fifty thousand naira (N1,450,000) be paid to NEDMEX SOLICITORS through their Zenith Bank Accounts number 1014197939. The DG insisted on paying his brother from the CBAAC Pensions Fund, discounting warnings to the contrary. Mrs Agubuzor’s days in the CBAAC were numbered. Yet, after the huge payments, Edwin Anikwem’s NEDMEX SOLICITORS did not attend to the case diligently until a negative ruling was delivered by Hon. Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja on the case concerning the recovery of N138 million being the Centre’s Pension Fund Contributions held over the years by NICON Insurance PLC.
Anikwe, an alumnus of the University of Port Harcourt, is also accused of politically victimizing members of the staff who do not share in his PDP political party interest. During the national political campaigns, he had hidden under the umbrella of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association to organize a political rally and compelled the staff members of the Centre via Circular C/CBAAC 140/IV/661, dated the 16th march, 2015 to be in attendance at the Presidential Town Hall Meeting held on Wednesday, 18th March, 2015 at 11 a.m., at Cinema Hall 1, National Theatre, Lagos. The Presidential Town Hall meeting turned out to be a political rally in disguise organized by the Corporate Affairs Department of the Centre under the directive of the DG and his alumni friends with the centre’s public funds. Those absent, like those who intended to vote for APC and other political parties, were to face disciplinary actions.
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| IGP Solomon Arase |
The Centre for Black And African Arts & Civilization (CBAAC) which was established as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism following the successful epoch hosting of the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), 1977.
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