The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) said his organisation has recovered about five hectares of land meant for the Art and Crafts village which were illegally acquired by individuals and organisations within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

NCAC Director-General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, lamented that there is a deficit in the development of culture and tourism in the country.

He said about 17 countries in Africa rely only on the potentials of tourism and culture to develop their economy.

Runsewe was the chairman of occasion at the grand launch of the Masterminds Catering & Culinary Institute (MCCI) Tuesday in Abuja.

Revealing how he recovered about five heaters taken away from Art and Crafts village, Runsewe asked: “How many of you know Yar’Adua Centre, Silverbird, all these places in Abuja, including the back were meant for the Nigerian Culture to promote Arts? But they cut it from 23 hectares to 3 hectares and sold the rest off.

“When I became the Director-General, they approached me that Otunba, don’t let your own be different, that is how we do and I said no, posterity will judge us. Do you know that some of you read it that Otunba was arrested? Nobody arrested me. They planned for me to intimidate me to withdraw my statement and a Judge pronounced me wanted to go prison. I called a press conference and I told the whole world in that land we met 26 stolen cars, four armed robbers living there, some AK47 guns, cocaine. That land I have recovered it back for the government.

“The whole land in that area is owned by Arts and Crafts village but it has been taken over and sold.

“I know some of them have been built but the ones that have not been built we must take it back and give it to Nigerians.”

On the faith of organisations such as Silverbird Galleria and the Ya’Adua Centre, Runsewe said: “Those ones are already built there’s nothing we can do about that, but the remaining ones, we have enough space to do what we can do.

“Now we are going to open it and all of you will be there and you can see that during the tenure of Otunba Runsewe something has been done.

“We recovered the remaining 5 hectares to make the total 8 hectares. At least it is better than none. What is most important is that that property today belongs to you and me, it belongs to every Nigerian.”

Runsewe, however, urged Nigerians to change their attitude toward the development of Art and tourism in Nigeria.

He said art and tourism is the only sector that nobody is a failure, adding that even with failure in secondary school education, one can be useful.

“The biggest secret this country is leaving behind is the development of culture and tourism. Over 17 countries in Africa today rely on this product. MCCI has done something that reawakening us to the reality of life. The sector is the only sector that nobody is a failure, even if you make F9 you are useful, you don’t need a PhD to make Amala.

“So many graduates are at home doing nothing because we need people that have practical knowledge of what they are saying. That is why I am personally supporting MCCI for all of us to cash into it. It is a capacity-building approach which we all need.”