The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, has urged ?museum experts to make laws that will influence the repatriation of Nigerian`s stolen artifacts as well as to protect cultural institutions against looters.
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This, he said, when implemented, would discourage looting and clandestine excavation of cultural objects as any offender caught, whether Nigerian or foreigner, would be sanctioned according to the law.?
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The minister, who was represented by the Director of Culture, Alhaji Mukhtar Sanni Abdulkadir, gave the suggestion yesterday in Abuja at a workshop on the Review of Laws of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
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“I want this distinguished gathering to make such laws that will influence the repatriation of these great works so that we can start enjoying the reward of our heroes past, and no offender against our cultural objects, be he a Nigerian or foreigner, will walk away free. Such laws will discourage looting and clandestine excavation of the objects,” he said.?
He further requested such laws that will reflect the future when Nigeria would solely depend on culture for revenue generation like other countries in the world.
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On his part, NCMM director-general, Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman recalled that the old law which was decree 77 of 1979 and later re-enacted as Cap 242 of the laws of the Federation had become obsolete, which necessitated the writing of a new law.
He frowned that hundreds of people in Europe through the internet now make the Benin bronzes which they identified as original, adding that Nigeria should have an International copyright control over their artifacts.?
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According to him, there should be provisions on educating the big construction companies like Julius Berger, the mining companies and local prospectors on Rescue Archaeology so as to prevent the destruction of artifacts in the soil.
In his remarks, the chairman, House of Reps Committee on Tourism, Culture and national Orientation, Hon. Ben Nwankwo stressed that laws should be contemporary and should be able to work for the people.
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