A breath of fresh air pervaded the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja yesterday as a new committee was sworn in to quell the crisis it has been enmeshed in.
In a peace move spearheaded by three Trustees of the Club – Aare Kola Oyefeso, Chief Oliver Ogbonna and Prince Kunle Adesina – , the new caretaker committte was raised with the mandate of setting up and delivering an election as well as managing the club till transition to elected officers by June 2025.
The caretaker committee which was sworn in by the Chairman of the Club’s Board of Trustees, Aare Oyefeso, comprises six past presidents of the clubs as well as five other members experienced in the club administration. They are Olayinka Ogunmekan (Chairman), Telesfore Trombi (Secretary), Femi Olanipekun, Babatunde Okunuga, Adewale Osomo, Tajudeen Akande and Funmi Bamkole. Others are Igho Okor (Membership Secretary), Adegboyega Oduwole (Treasurer), Olusegun Aluko (Social/Sports Secretary) and Femi Olaniyan (Committee Member).
Before announcing the new caretaker committee, the Trustees described the event as ‘pivotal’ and reflected on the need to change. They said, “the previous committee was unable to work together, a situation which hindered their ability to effectively mange the Club.”
The Trustees then charged the reconstituted caretaker committe to two terms of reference as follows:
“a. To constitue an electoral panel within two weeks of inauguration and which the electoral panel shall organise elections into the offices of the Management Council, ensuring within the two weeks, the display of election notices and timeline.
“b. To manage the club until an elected management Council is sworn in, God willing, by the first week of June 2025.”
It should be recalled that this move is coming after an internal crisis which started about a year ago nearly crippled the 75-year old sports and family Club. The crisis caused disaffection among many members and services in the club dropped to an all-time low.