FG speaks on ‘move’ to sell Biafra War Museum, Ojukwu’s bunker

 

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Alex Okoh, on Wednesday reacted to the allegation that the Federal Government was planning to sell the Biafra War Museum and the bunker used by Biafra warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
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He reacted to the development when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation.

The question on the reported controversial sale was put to Okoh by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Theodore Orji.

The Director General said Ojukwu’s bunker and war museum in Abia State are monuments of historic dimension.

According to him: “There is nothing like that.

 

“It is a monument of historic dimension.”

The Nigerian National War Museum in Umuahia, Abia State showcases the military history of Nigeria with relics form the Biafra-Nigerian Civil War.

It has a collection of tanks, AFLs, ships and aircraft all from Nigeria and Biafra.

Almost all the tanks and AFLs are Biafran and all aircraft are Nigerian.

The Director General of the BPE while defending 2022 budget of the agency, said personnel cost for the agency for the year will be N1.4 billion, while overhead cost will be N537 million and capital N167 million.

Okoh informed the lawmakers that the revenue projection for the agency in 2022 will be N86.5 billion and it will be for sale of Afam Power Plan at about N78 billion and Yola Disco at N7.8 billion.

According to the Director General of the BPE, N2.3 billion was remitted to the Federation Account in 2021, while the outstanding of N508 million was from the sale of NITEL Non-Core asset.
Earlier, the Chairman queried :fluctuating personnel cost of the agency between 2020 and 2022.

According to the budget of the agency, the personnel cost for 2020 was N1.4 billion, but in 2021, there was a decrease to N1.3 billion, while 2022, it went up again to N1.4 billion.

But the BPE boss explained that in 2021, some staff of the organisation were retired, while in 2022, it was as a result of staff promotion.