Reallocate another place for us, displaced Abuja artisans beg NCAC

DISPLACED members of the African Arts and Culture Heritage Association (AACHA), Abuja, on Tuesday, appealed to the management of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), to reallocate them another befitting place if it wishes to use the premises.

The Financial Secretary, Mohammed Mohammed, who made this appeal in a telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, also implored the NCAC to stop intimidating and harassing the AACHA members now that the case is still pending in Court.

It will be recalled that NCAC premises gutted fire on December 15, 2017, where properties and goods worth several millions of naira were destroyed.

He, however, lamented that there was no quit notice before the management asked them to vacate the premises, saying the members were now roaming the streets, especially around Sheraton Hotel.

According to him, the government can reallocate us to another place if it says it needs the property, you can’t just come in a day and send us away illegally. There is a legal way of doing things.

“We are artisans there doing our legitimate duties, we obey all rules and regulations guiding our staying there but all of a sudden we now got a new director, and before he arrived we passed the night there we did work overnight but he said no that we can no longer be sleeping there and we agreed.” He explained.

Mohammed explained that few weeks after the payment for the shop in November 2017 the whole place went on flame.

“When the place gutted fire on December 15, we lost many things and he never came to sympathize with us until last week Saturday and what he said was that we must move out with our belongings.

“You have to serve us a quit notice or give us ultimatum like one or two months notice,” he stated.