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Kehinde Aderemi
Members of Committee of Friends, a Lagos-based group, have pledged to continue promoting initiatives that would boost community development. The group recently unveiled an edifice, which would serve as its secretariat.
The secretariat is on Adegoke Adewale Avenue, Offin-Ile, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Members of the group are Prince Osiyoku Felix Adeboye, Bashir Alabi, Ajetunmobi Tunde, Olugbenga Onasanya, Olaiya Fatai, Adebajo Wale, Sonaike Kunle, Egbucha Emeka, Kalejaiye Sesan, Olatomiyan Moroof and Obayomi Hakeem.
Chairman of the group, Prince Osiyoku Felix Adeboye, said the secretariat was constructed to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the group in grand style.
“It all started when four of us came together. But, gradually, it later became a reality when other friends joined the league. One of us later mooted the idea of founding a group to cement our relationship. That was how the club started officially on March 7, 2013. We agreed on the name – Committee of Friends – and it was duly registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) thereafter,” he said.
Adeboye said the understanding and maturity exhibited by members was the catalyst for the progress.
“I must appreciate my colleagues, because the day we formalised the idea of coming together, we hit the ground running. We started working on various dreams and how we could realise those dreams. I am happy one of the dreams has been realised,” he said. He said the new secretariat was to create a meeting point and improve on the bonding among members.
Vice chairman, Mr. Bashir Alabi, said the success story celebrated by the group was not accidental, as it was an effort that matured in due time.
“Our relationship is purely that of one, indivisible family. We are driven by the same desire to impact our community. Plans are on to improve on our corporate social responsibility.
“We want to improve on the quality of lives of residents of this community. We plan to rehabilitate Adegoke Adewale Avenue, Offin-Ile, the road leading to our secretariat. We want to build a big recreational centre and private schools, and we are also looking forward to exploring new opportunities in tourism, health and social services,” he said.
General secretary, Alhaji Ajetunmobi Tunde, said the group comprises people of integrity.
“Apart from this building, our intention is to buy a bus that will be conveying all the students of this community to their various schools. We meet weekly and our intention is to impact on our community. We contribute N30,000 annually, and the money goes into social and financial development of the group.
“We have challenges on how to raise funds for our future projects. Very soon, we shall get over that because we are beginning to open our doors to new members. We are building membership, but we are being careful. We want members that are really interested in supporting our dreams of developing our community,” he said.
In his remarks, the assistant general secretary, Mr. Olugbenga Onasanya, who is also a member of the screening committee, said the committee has the mandate to invite new members into the group: “We have a screening committee that evaluates new members and appraise their level of seriousness. They will then have to pay a non-refundable fee of N10,000. The admission fee is about N3,000.”
