in Abuja

Members of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja have expressed gratitude to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem for their efforts to reopen the club. 

The golf club was indefinitely closed arising from internal schism among members.

The looming crises, however, provided a vista for the FCT Minister to effect renovations to the course that would bring the facilities up to international standards.

Wike as a result of all the efforts of the Chairman and members of the BOT, last Saturday visited the club to assess the facilities.

 During the visit he assured stakeholders that the clubhouse would be renovated immediately, first under an emergency intervention, focusing on areas where golfers socialise and relax.

The minister also promised that other sections of the club would be renovated and upgraded in phases.

In reaction to the visit, some members of IBB Club expressed excitement at the latest developments, adding that, but for the efforts of the BoT, all these would not have been possible.

They emphasised the importance of reopening the club and commended the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) President, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, for setting up a committee under the leadership of AVM B.D Solomon, which drove the reconciliation efforts and petition signing exercise at the stadium.

The members expressed their eagerness to resume their activities and social events at the club, adding that the renovation would enhance their overall experience.

Iyabo Adebola thanked Wike and the BOT for their efforts, noting that the renovation of the IBB Golf club was necessary and long overdue as the club was a vital recreational and social hub in Abuja.

She stressed that the IBB Golf Club was a vital part of Abuja’s recreational and social scene. 

She noted that the club, which was built around 30 years ago, has indeed become worn out due to excessive use and lack of maintenance, necessitating a major renovation for its over 5,000 members.

Another member, Nuhu Ahmad, also expressed gratitude to Wike and the BoT for their hard-work and efforts at reviving the club from its comatose state, adding that the renovation would bring the club up to international standards, making it a premier recreation and tourism destination in Nigeria.

The NGF President and BoT member of the club, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, thanked Wike for listening to the appeal of the members to reopen the club.

Runsewe lauded Wike, saying that, “Mr. Project is now Mr. Golf Legend. 

“A man who can come and save IBB Golf Club is no less than a golf legend of our time,” observed the  NGF President.

He also expressed his gratitude to all the members who turned out en masse to sign the petition for the reopening of the club, adding that all their efforts were now beginning to yield positive results.

Runsewe had organised a week-long petition signing exercise at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium last month, where over 2,000 members expressed their support and appealed to Wike to intervene and reopen the course.

The NGF President said that upon reopening, the club will implement strict security checks and member-profiling to maintain discipline and prestige.

He also said that the issue of the health and well-being of the members, the maintenance of the course, and youth development were top on the agenda of the new BoT.