IBB Golf Club to reopen in December after rehabilitation — Wike

• Says facility shut over internal crisis

The long-shut IBB Golf and Country Club in Aso Drive, Maitama, Abuja, is set to reopen to members and the public in December, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has announced.

Wike disclosed this on Friday while speaking with journalists after inspecting key infrastructure projects in the Federal Capital Territory.

The minister said the rehabilitation and reopening of the prestigious golf facility followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu, who ordered that the club be restored and reopened before the end of the year.

“Mr. President directed that this Golf Course must be ready and reopened by December. So, we have given it to Julius Berger to make sure that everything is done, and by December this year, the Golf Course will be reopened,” Wike said.

The IBB Golf and Country Club was shut following an internal crisis among its members, according to the minister.

He said a caretaker committee, headed by the President of the Court of Appeal, was subsequently constituted to oversee the affairs of the club and facilitate its rehabilitation.

Wike commended the committee for its efforts, particularly in ensuring that the rehabilitation contract was secured and work commenced on the facility.

The rehabilitation contract was awarded to Julius Berger Plc, the construction company that originally built the golf club.

According to Wike, Julius Berger has indicated that it would complete the rehabilitation work in November, but the FCT Administration has fixed December for the reopening in accordance with the President’s directive.

“The contractor has said they are handing over in November, but we want it to be reopened December, and that is the directive of Mr. President,” he said.

The minister said the reopening of the club would also address complaints from diplomats and other users who have been deprived of access to the facility since its closure.

He noted that golf remained an important recreational activity, particularly for the diplomatic community in Abuja.

“Diplomats have been complaining that they have nowhere to go and play golf. I know the importance of golf. So, by December, God willing, they will reopen this Golf Course for the use of the public,” Wike said.

Wike, however, stressed that the facility should become financially self-sustaining after its reopening, rather than continue to rely on public funds for its operations.

“We believe this time around, that when this is done, they should be able to raise funds for themselves to run this place. The government should not, you know, use public funds to go and be doing this,” he said.

He added that the government’s intervention was necessitated by the President’s directive and the need to restore the facility to full use.

The minister also disclosed that the FCT Administration was ensuring that Julius Berger was paid for the rehabilitation work, stressing that the contractor must complete the assignment within the agreed timeline.

“And you know Julius Berger did this work, and so we have to bring them back. So, we are doing everything possible to pay them and we are paying them, and they have to complete the job,” he said.