Murtala, Azikwe, Balewa’s tombs to become Heritage sites

Posted by admin Murtala Ramat Muhammed (1975-76), Nnamdi Azikiwe (1963-66), Presidency, Tafawa Belewa (1960-66) Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

The tombs of the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the historical site of Oloibiri oil well will soon be declared as national heritage sites.

Head of the Department of Monuments Heritage and Sites at the National Commission for Museum and Monument, Mrs. Adama Muhammed, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

Murtala Mohammed was killed on February 13, 1976 in an abortive coup and buried in Kano, while Nnamdi Azikwe, who was the first Nigerian President, died on May 11, 1996 and was buried in Onitsha.

The late Balewa the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria died on January 15, 1966 and was buried in Bauchi and his tomb had since become a tourist attraction.

Oloibiri is a small community in Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa, Niger Delta region of Nigeria, where oil was first discovered in commercial quantity on January 15, 1956 by Shell Darcy.

Muhammed said NCMM had been working on about 24 heritage sites in the country, to make them fit to be declared national heritage sites.

She said the NCMM had succeeded in establishing 65 monuments.

“NCMM has the power to declare monuments because of their standing value in the areas in which they are found.

“We maintain the monuments and artifacts; we give licenses and permit private and local governments that want to establish museums to do so,” she said.

-Punchwp_posts