Conversion of Plateau club hall to cinema stirs crises

The popular Plateau Club has been engulfed in crises since last year, leading to petitions and strife among the members. Chief among the cause of the crises has been the demolition of the club’s multipurpose hall for conversion into a cinema. Established in 1921 with the concept of bringing members together in a common union […]

The popular Plateau Club has been engulfed in crises since last year, leading to petitions and strife among the members. Chief among the cause of the crises has been the demolition of the club’s multipurpose hall for conversion into a cinema.

Established in 1921 with the concept of bringing members together in a common union of cooperation, understanding, sportsmanship and social interaction, the club has over the years lived up to its objective of fostering relationship and understanding among members and between the club and other clubs in the country, including boosting the relationship with residents of the community within which it operates.

Other aims of the club are contained in the rules and bye-laws of 1969 and amended in 2011. The aims include promoting sporting activities and competitions within the country and with affiliate clubs around the world; maintaining a non-political, non-racial, non-denominational and non-ethnic posture and policy on issues; and raising funds/mobilization of members towards contributing financially, morally and materially for the attainment of the aims and objectives.

In effect of the aims and objectives of the club and its prevailing activities, the club has been booming/lively over the years and has been a force to reckon with in the country and beyond. But since the demolition of the multipurpose hall for the purpose of conversion into a cinema (alongside other issues), the club has been involved in crises, and the crises has affected the liveliness of the club and there has been serious division among the members.

In a petition letter by other members of the club to the Chairman Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the club dated January 25, 2018, the petitioners claimed that the Executive Committee of the club disregarded the laid down procedure for decision making process as required by the club’s by-laws and demolished the club’s multipurpose hall without having the consent of the other members of the club sought at a general meeting.

“It is pertinent to state that … the notice of demolition was surreptitiously pasted on the notice board in the late hours of 19th November, 2017 after members have vacated the club premises. Consequently, the demolition of the club hall thereafter commenced, thereby impeding the capacity of members to aggregate a uniform position or otherwise in respect of the said demolition.

“And by a letter dated 20th April, 2017, a company by the name 65 Broadcast Limited proposed the lease of the club’s hall on a build, operate and transfer basis at the cost of N350,000,000.00 (three hundred and fifty million Naira) for a period of 30 years. Similarly, by a letter dated 13th June, 2017 in response to the club’s President letter dated 3rd May, 2017, the club Sub-committee on Maintenance/Development advised against the commencement of the said project and recommended that the consent of members be sought at a general meeting,” the petition read in part.

The members who signed the petition included, Hon./Engineer Vincent Bot, Dayo Bamigbala, Ifeanyi O. Nnamani, Sunday Angai, Chris Hassan, Chukwudum J. Madueme and Ben Ajeigbe.

Meanwhile, in a proposal letter for the lease of the club hall by 65 Broadcast Limited into a cinema dated 20th April, 2017, signed by 65 Broadcast Limited MD/CEO, Steve Gukas, and addressed to the President of Plateau Club, the company said it will pay N3, 000,000 (Three million Naira) annually to the club after the first two years of operation, and that the club will have access to the facility for use for its annual general meeting.

The copy of the letter which was also obtained by our reporter read: “65 Broadcast Limited is desirous of leasing the old club hall and the lot across the fence for the purpose of conversion into a cinema, cafe and a car park. The old club hall will be brought down and replaced with a 200 seater cinema and a cafe extension. The land opposite the hall outside the fence which also belongs to the club will be developed into a car park for the cinema. 

“Detailed architectural drawings for this purpose have been submitted. This is projected to take about nine months to be fully developed and operational. The project is currently projected to the cost of N350, 000,000.00. This covers the structural construction, electrical/plumbing, air conditioning, seats, equipment, promotions and operational costs.”

So, as the demolition of the club’s multipurpose hall for conversion into cinema is currently generating disagreement, petitions, claims and counter claims among members, our reporter contacted the club’s manager for his reaction but he said he has no authority to comment on the issue except the club President, Barrister Festus Fuanter.

Calls and text message put to the President, who is also the Plateau State Commissioner for Land and Survey, were no responded to before press time.