By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it will embark on rehabilitation of the Abuja IBB International Golf and Country Club owing to it present unimpressived conditions.
FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike made this disclosure during his visit to the club’s Board of Trustees headed by the President of Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban- Mensem in Abuja.
Dongban- Mensem had informed the Minister about the present condition of the facility that was opened in 1991, saying that it has worn out as a result of long years of usage without adequate maintenance.
The Minister promised to invite Julius Berger who happened to be the same company that built the golf club to handle the rehabilitation project.
Wike warned members of the club who have in the past turned the club to a private property to stay away as the club remained the property of government.
“You know I’m not a golfer. This is my first time of coming here and I have had some interest. My interest is, this is the property of government and I’m very proud for you to manage. When I came here, I was quite impressed. Like you said, there are so many countries made by the tourism.
“And if you have people like today, they having Ecowas meeting taking place. Now, there may be golfers, they want to come and play golf. It’s very key. And that’s why we will not allow anybody to take what belongs to us. We will not allow that. Government is not a good manager,” Wike said.
The minister stated that the restoration of the golf course was what anybody who had good taste and meant well for the country must encourage, adding it was better to renovate the place, open it up and not allow it degenerate.
“So that when people come in, they have where they can laugh at the club and have their drinks and the rest of the thing. I would take it as part of the emergency that we must do,” he said.
Earlier Dongban-Mensem had appealed for the upgrading of the golf course in the same way government had renovated the International Conference Centre.
“We are confident that with the massive infrastructural development under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and under your dynamic leadership of the FCT, our dear IBB International Club will similarly be a beneficiary of your foresightedness and determination to turn our nation around,” She said.
A member of Board of Trustees of the club, Otunba Runsewe while presenting a special golf memorabilia to the Minister described Wike as the most misunderstood Nigerian and also a man who likes to deliver the good at all times.
END.
