Govt to establish ultramodern museum in Owerri ...as Ohia Receives Award

Mazi Uche Ohia, PhD, Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, receiving the award of PILLAR OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ARTS from the Curator, National Museum Owerri, Mrs Carol Agbamuche at the 2022 International Museum Day held in Owerri on May 25, 2022

The Imo State Government under the leadership of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma plans to establish a world - class museum in Owerri as part of effort to make Imo a favourite tourist destination.

This was disclosed by the honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mazi Uche Ohia, PhD,  during the 2022 International Museum Day celebration held on May 25, 2022, at the National Museum premises, Owerri, where he received an award from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mazi Uche Ohia, Ph.D, lifting his award plaque as PILLAR OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ARTS from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments on Wednesday May 25, 2022

Presenting the Pillar of  Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts award to Mazi Uche Ohia, the Curator of National Museum, Owerri, Mrs Carol Agbamuche, who represented the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Professor Abba Isa Tijani, said, the honour was in recognition of Mazi Ohia's contributions to the development and promotion of the tourism, culture and  creative arts industry in Imo State.

Speaking, Mazi Uche Ohia gave an assurance that Imo State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and its parastatals were dedicated to the cause of promoting Igbo culture and heritage. 

"The essence of the museum that will soon be established by the state government is to warehouse, protect and preserve our artefacts and cultural heritage for posterity.

"It is a sad thing that proper attention is not paid to our history, our heritage. If we don't have our past together, we cannot have our present together and the future will remain uncertain," Ohia said.

He commended the National Commission for Museums and Monuments for its effort to repatriate our lost artefacts and thanked the Commission for the award, while promising to sustain the strategic partnership between the Commission and Imo State. 

Mazi Ohia, dedicated the award to the State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, and to the Omenimo Dance Troupe of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.

In a message on the occasion delivered by the Curator National Museum Owerri, Mrs Carol Agbamuche, the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Professor Abba Isa Tijani, said the International Museum Day is celebrated annually to motivate and encourage individuals to visit and enjoy museums and to create awareness on the challenges facing museums. He noted that the Commission has been achieving great success in its repatriation pursuit as Nigeria recently won her case and brought back a 600-year-old Ife Terracotta from the Netherlands.

Professor Tijani pointed out that there have been agreements with countries in Europe for the release of numerous priceless antiquities belonging to Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Chidi Osuagwu of the Department of Industrial Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, said the event was to stimulate the interest of Imo people in the lives of our ancestors so as to guide the present generation to chart the future.

According to him: "Museums and symbols they represented are important towards understanding our world."

In a Lecture, Rev Dr Michael Ihemadu of the Imo State University, Owerri, said; "Museums educate us on where we are coming from; it is a repository of our historical heritage,  a reservoir of our history and culture."

He also lamented the removal of history from the teaching curriculum in Nigeria.

The theme for this year's celebration is "The Power of Museums". The day is an annual celebration marked globally.