By; IBRAHIM ADAMU, 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 gains.
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 of the club, together with members of the management committee 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 the former Governor of Kaduna State Nasir el-Rufai for intervention in December 2022.
A petition signed by ten members of the club, a copy of which our correspondent obtained during an investigation into the matter contained alleged misappropriation of the club’s finances and conspiracy by the duo of the president and management committee members 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 Muhammadu Buhari Way, 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 with the members of the management Committee (President) 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 the shopping malls and sold out the shops/ leased them out without making an attempt to pay up the balance to the club.
“The deed of assignment is without without the governor’s consent as required by law while the four trustees who signed the document were those foisted on the club which is to be challenged in the court of law,” the document added.
The petitioners faulted the ongoing construction in the name of Kaduna club reconstruction, saying it would encroach and tamper with key recreational facilities such as Lawn Tennis courts site and swimming areas, adding that the embarrassing development had already attracted a demolition notice from KASUPDA.
During our investigation, a tour on the said property by our correspondent, a new shopping mall has been erected and the entire Kaduna Club properties has been demolished allegedly with the approval of the president, management committee members and those parading themselves as the trustee of the club and also some government agencies in the state.
The members in the petition also accused the management committee members and some parading themselves as trustees of the Kaduna Club of gross financial misappropriation, indiscipline and corruption, disclosing that all activities relating to the account of the club under the president and management committee members had been shrouded in secrecy without accountability and transparency.
They called on the incumbent Governor of the state (who is also the Patron of the club), His Excellency, 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 in one of the club (AGM) meetings against the state’s agencies; KADGIS, KADIPA and KASUPDA in order to establish the truth.
