From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Members of a famous recreational centre known as Kaduna Club have accused its leaders of misappropriation and plot to corner assets of the elite rendezvous point for personal gain.
It is obvious all is not well within the club with diverse membership mainly elite, including expatriates.
The brewing crisis could be traced to the decision of president and General Secretary of the club, Engr. Tijjani Abubakar and Muhammed Ajagun respectively to lease out a chunk of the club’s landed property to a private developer to build a shopping mall, an action that enraged some key members into writing a petition to Governor of Kaduna State Uba Sani for intervention.
A petition signed by ten members of the club, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent contained alleged misappropriation of the club’s finances and conspiracy by the duo of the president and General Secretary to take possession of its assets through a firm owned by a member via a questionable concession, according to the petitioners.
The petition noted that the club founded in 1932 as a foremost recreation center, subsequently registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission with a Government approved landed property at 18 Waff Road, Kaduna should be used and maintained for the sole purpose of social and brotherhood activities only.
The petitioners recalled with nostalgia past years in the history of the club when members fraternized with one another in pure and mutual friendship, adding that until owner of Binanci Associates Ltd became a member and connived with president and General Secretary of the club to rub members off their cherished possession.
“The action of these people is entirely for personal gain and against the club’s business, objective and constitution.
“The unfortunate aspect of the deed is that it stated that the price for the assignment is 90.3 million naira only and seven million naira had already been paid in an earlier lease agreement without stating when and how the balance will be paid and granting Binanci Associates beneficial owner even without paying the balance.
“Binanci has since completed building shopping malls and leased them out without making an attempt to pay up the balance to the club.
“The deed of assignment is without your consent as required by law while the four trustees who signed the document were those foisted on the club who are being challenged in the court of law,” the document added.
The petitioners faulted the ongoing construction, saying it would encroach and tamper with key recreational facilities such as Lawn Tennis courts sit and swimming areas, adding that the embarrassing development had already attracted a demolition notice from KASUPDA.
The members in the petition also accused the two leaders of the leisure centre of gross financial misappropriation, indiscipline and corruption, disclosing that all activities relating to the account of the club under the president and General secretary had been shrouded in secrecy without accountability and transparency.
They called on Governor Uba Sani to look into the issue at the club with a view to saving a relic of capital of old Northern Region by ensuring a proper investigation of all actors involved, their collaborators and allegations made by the club president against the state’s agencies; KADGIS, KADIPA and KASUPDA in order to establish the truth.
