….Stakeholders Call For IGP Intervention
As early as 8am on Thursday, March 28, 2024, a group of mobile and regular police officers barricaded the gates and blocked all roads leading to the premises of Ikeja Country Club at number 2, Jeol Ogunnaike Street, off Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, GRA Ikeja, Lagos using their operational vehicles for the exercise.
This action according to the members of the Club who are set to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today contravened the order of the court which restrained the respondents from carrying out any action that could infringe on the fundamental rights the applicants.
Those listed as respondents are registered Trustees of the Country Club, Seyi Adewunmi, Tony Awe, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan), Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Area Commander Area F, Ikeja; and the Divisional Police Officer, Ikeja Police Station, Ikeja, Lagos.
The applicants, Saka Bello Adeshina Lukmon and Francis Ofordu on behalf of the members of Country Club had filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos before his Lordship, Hon. Justice A.O. Awogboro, number: FHC/L/CS/505/2024 praying for the smooth conduct of their EGM, among other prayers in the best interest of the Club, its members and activities.
Feelers have it that there has been a supremacy battle between the elected officials of the Club and the Trustees leading to the purported suspension of the elected executives of the Club. However concerned members who are interested in finding a lasting peace to the crisis rocking the Club are also being faced with fierce resistance from the Trustees who are expected to be seen as elder statesmen.
In a renewed quest for justice the discontent applicants are however seeking the attention of Inspector General of Police to call his men to order not to bend the rule of law or to show any bias in the matter so that there can be peace in the Club and to also create an harmonious atmosphere for the running of the Club’s socio-economic activities without any breakdown of law and order.
Below is the notice of the meeting by the bona-fide members of the club to hold a peaceful and reconcilatory meeting for the progress, prosperity and success of the Club:
*THE EXHIBITION OF ABNORMALITIES*
Dear members
It should now be clearly obvious to all members of the club by now that the Club’s greatest enemies are our Registered Trustees.
Firstly, the Registered Trustees filed an Originating Summons against two members of the Club, who are young enough to be their children, to stop an EGM that has been called to reinstate a peaceful situation in the Club. For those who may not be aware, one of these Trustees has been a Trustee of the Club for about thirty (30) years. Due to the failure of the Trustees to manage a crisis and ensure peace in the Club, these members use their initiatives to call for an EGM to restore the Club back to a peaceful situation, but the Trustees are not interested in peace, they must have their way at all cost.
The Trustees first sent a letter from their Lawyers to these members threatening them with a court case if they didn’t stop the EGM. These members however went to the Court to complain about threat to their fundamental human rights and the court rightly granted an interim order restraining the Trustees, security operatives and others from stopping them from holding the EGM and exercising their fundamental human rights. The Trustees are dragging the Club with their children.
It is important to remind all Club members that the Trustees were nominated by the Management Council and appointed by the members at a General Meeting specifically called for that purpose. Since the Club members appointed them, it means members are above the Trustees and they must abide by the decision of the members.
The saying that Trustees are the owners of the Club is outrightly false. Members are the owners of the Club and the Club cannot run without the subscription of members. The members only put the Trustees to hold the properties of the Club in TRUST for them. You can’t be above the people that appointed you into the office. But unfortunately, because some of the Trustees have been in the position for too long, they see themselves as demi gods that can do whatever they like and get away with it.
Secondly, the issue of the court order granting the Life Members (LMs) the right to vote by paying 25% of subscription is a classical case of high level of betrayal by the Trustees. It is clear now that the Trustees, instead of going to Court to defend the decision of the members on non-voting rights for LMs actually went to the Court to defend the LMs against the Club and threw the Club under the bus. Nobody is against the LMs, if they want to be voting they need to follow the amendment process detailed in the Constitution to amend the relevant provisions. On four (4) occasions between 2018 and 2023, members of the Club consistently voted against the proposed voting rights for LMs whenever presented, is that not what the Trustees were supposed to defend in Court? Are they not supposed to be defending the decisions of the members of the Club? Instead, they went to Court to argue against our Constitution, the same Constitution they swore to protect and defend, the same Constitution that was used to make them Trustees, instead of defending it. They supported the LMs position in Court and asked the Court to grant the LMs prayers without putting up any defence whatsoever. How can you legislate friendship?How can you force your own interest on members of the Club through Court judgement? We are governed by Constitution, Rules and Regulations, and the Court judgment must be presented at a General Meeting for members to ratify and domesticate in our Constitution before it can take effect.
Members should also aware that one of the Trustees has given four (4) million naira to the LMs to pay the 25% to enable them to vote. We can see the real face of the masquerade. Do we really have Trustees? Are we sure they were not even the ones that sponsored the Court case for the LMs against the Club?
In the last few weeks, the Trustees have been harassing and intimidating Club members, members of staff and members of the Management Council with the Police. They’ve been harassing and intimidating the people they are supposed to protect while pretending that they are interested in peace. Some members warned the Elders and the body of Past Presidents that the Trustees were just using them to buy time but they didn’t believe. We hope now that their eyes are clearer that the Trustees have never and will never be interested in any peaceful settlement, they are only buying time to achieve their funny objectives and have their way.
Dear Club members, it is time to show the Trustees that members appointed them into that position. It is time to let them know that the members of the Club are the Supreme Authority and that is why they cannot be Trustees without the ratification of members. Members need to remind them that the overall interest of the Club supersedes their own individual interests. Finally, they need to see the clear signal that members are tired of them.
Let it be clear! An Application for the Enforcement of the Fundamental Rights of a Person or Persons supersedes any other matter howsoever called or described. In addition, it operates as an automatic stay of any action against the claims and interest of the Persons claiming protection to enforce their Fundamental Rights. Finally the Trustees, by the Order sought and obtained at the Court, have bared their fangs as contemptuous violators of the Fundamental Rights of Members, an ignominy that will be challenged in due course at the appropriate forum. This is pointedly proven by the fact that a Meeting meant for all Members, the Trustees, who are themselves products of Meetings, are determined to stop Meetings. This is the way of Anarchists which must be stopped with determined resolute. Until then, let us mobilise massively to the EGM this evening to exercise our inalienable rights to associate, assemble and deliberate on matters concerning us. It is our meeting, the Conveners are merely concerned personification/representatives of the entire Membership. We must not fall for their tactics of fear and intimidation. We need to rescue our Club from the people that don’t have our interest at heart. They are not gods; they are fallible and they can’t defeat us if we remain together, resolute and determined.
All members need to remember that The Lagos Country Club is a Chartered Club which automatically makes it a Club of Records and Precedents. Once we allow them to get away with this, we will become their slaves forever. It must not be allowed to happen.
Come to the EGM today and vote for the restoration of peace!
Come to the EGM to rescue our Club from the enemies within!
Together we can achieve the unexpected!
No court judgement can stop us again! We are the people and this is our CLUB!
