IBB Golf Club crisis: Captain harps on respect for rule of law
By Victor Okoye
Ibrahim Babayo, the Captain of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja has called for the strict adherence to the rule of law by all stakeholders in the ongoing dispute at the club.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the golf club, located in Abuja, is a prominent recreational and tourist attraction.
With its 101-hectare golf course, 25 bridges, and stunning views of Aso Rock, it’s a beloved destination for golf enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
Babayo said the club had been independent of government subversion since 2004 and was issued with a C of O in 2011.
He noted that all statutory payments were up-to-date by the club, and operated just like most golf clubs, in Nigeria, which were built by public funds and handed over to the members of the various clubs across the country at different times.
He, however said that in an unfortunate turn of event on Saturday, security operatives sealed the club, following an internal leadership dispute that rocked the facility.
The closure on Saturday was reportedly aimed to disrupt an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), which was scheduled on the same day.
The captain said that the bone of contention was as a result of the members efforts to fill the vacant positions in the Board of Trustees (BOT).
He explained that the current situation where only two octogenarians constituted the BOT had led to a lack of corporate governance, stagnation of the development of the club and recent loss of funds.
He said for a considerable amount of time the outgone BOT were unable to form a quorum to make major decisions for the club.
He also noted that at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2014, a committee was set up to review the constitution of the club.
“This was successfully done in 2014, but implementation and registration of the new constitution was stalled by the chairman of the BOT for 10 years until December 2024 when it was finally successfully registered.
“This was simply because of a clause concerning tenure and age limits, which automatically disqualified him from being a BOT member.
“This is the main bone of contention,” he said.
He further explained that at the last AGM in 2024, a BOT Selection Committee was appointed by members and given terms of reference to fill the vacancies in the BOT.
He said the committee had finished their work and were at the point of presenting their report for the proper conduct of an election on Saturday.
He noted that this was before the club was shut down by security agencies, subsequently preventing the scheduled EGM from holding.
He urged all aggrieved parties to follow due process and the constitution of the club and be guided by the rule of law as well as a proper corporate governance structure.
He stressed that there was virtually no way that anybody could appropriate any section of the IBB Golf Club as it is the sole property of the club and a national asset as well.
He quoted the constitution as stating clearly in Section 32.2 that: “no member of the BOT or Executive Committee of the club shall have a proprietary or personal interest in any property of the club.
He said that the security operatives had since vacated the club’s premises, adding that they were currently conducting stakeholders’ engagement.
He assured that all pending issues would soon be resolved.
“We are a family and intend to unify our club, and we will by the grace of God succeed in becoming one great family again,
“Our aim is to make Abuja the number one golf tourism destination in Africa, and we intend to do so,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Remi Koleoso/Muhyideen Jimoh
Published By
- Senior Editor
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