Less Than A Year In Office, Runsewe Battling Hard To Retain Job As National Council Of Arts Boss

Otunba Segun Runsewe is having it very rough in his new job as the Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture sources disclosed.

Barely a year in office, insiders disclosed the challenges he faces have peaked to the point of threatening to unseat him.

But he is fighting hard to hold on.

The chief of the problems ravaging his world is said to have roots in the struggle for control with occupiers of the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village.

The artisans and traders operating the “space” – long before Runsewe came into the picture – accuse the DG of backing an investor to throw them off the land.

A development that has degenerated to finger pointing in the recent fire incident that claimed estimated property worth, N400m – including 36 shops.

The traders claim “conspiracy to remove them”, while Runsewe attribute the cause to a cooking plate not turned off – a claim the owner of the shop has faulted insisting she never cooked nor used cooking device in her office, that at the time of the fire incident there was no electricity supply to the “arts village”.

Checks by societynow revealed the trouble for Runsewe in the unfolding narrative is that his old adversaries have started circling the situation to help the traders achieve their objective.

Sources disclosed standing on the side of the “traders and artisans’ truth”, players against Runsewe have started joining forces and forging alliances that would take him out of relevance.

“That is if he escapes jail term” according to a source who explained “in the court case between the arts village occupiers and the investor, a contempt of court charge against Runsewe is being worked on for action allegedly took that is seen as contrary to court order”.

On his part, Runsewe is said not to be sleeping on his oars in the engagement.

The DG is said to be dressing up the other side in garb of “enemies of present administration with strong affiliation to the past government”.