Arts Professionals Write Osinbajo Over Theatre Appointment
By Victor Ernest
The National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) has written to acting President Yemi Osinbajo requesting that he rescinds the appointment of Tar Ukoh as Artistic Director, National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria.
NANTAP urged Osinbajo to rescind Ukoh’s appointment because the National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria are two distinct institutions regulated by Decree 47 of 1991 and supposed to be under separate leadership.
In the letter signed by the Interim President of NANTAP, Israel Eboh, on July, 24 and addressed to the office of the acting president, the group said the appointment is ”clearly wrong” as it goes against the status that established the two institutions.
”Your Excellency Sir, while we align ourselves with the vision of this government to make the creative and entertainment industry stronger and more economically viable, we strongly believe that laying the foundations through the rule of law is the way to go.
”We therefore seize this medium to appeal to Mr. Acting President as an erudite lawyer commitment to the Rule of Law, to correct this illegality that has been done to a parastatal in a sector that the government is nurturing to become a new and alternative source of revenue and economic driving force,” the group said.
