OXFORDCAMBRIDGE CLUB OF NIGERIA
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 1st of March 2012
Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Distinguished past Presidents and former officers, members of the executive committee, members of Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria. Good evening
I welcome you warmly to the 2012 Annual General Meeting.
I have the honour to present to you the president’s report for the years 2010 and 2011.
This committee was elected at the Annual General Meeting of the club which took place here at the Metropolitan Club on January 27, 2010. Members of committee elected were:
L. Fubara Anga President
Chris AnyaegbunamVice President
Akinfela AkoniHonorary Secretary
Olayemi AnyanechiHonorary Secretary
Bayo Osolake Membership Secretary
Peter Alexander Ashikiwe-EgomSocial Secretary
Danlami BasharuMember
Yewande Zaccheaus Member
Stella AmachreeMember
After serving for 4 years, the Committee led by Ms Genevieve UzoamakaOnyiuke the 1st female president of the Cluband Dele Martins handed over to us at a well attended meeting.
This committee held a cocktail reception for members at the Lagos Yacht Club, Magazine Point, Marina, Lagos on Wednesday 24th February 2010. The reception gave old and prospective members an opportunity to meet and socialize in a pleasant setting. Members and their guests enjoyed the ambiance of the club and took the opportunity to renew acquaintances and make new friends.
In April 2010 a group of students from the Said Business School visited Lagos. We were invited to meet with them during their visit and some members of the club attended a Networking event on April 1sthosted by CardinalStone Partners in Ikoyi.
On April 3rd the Boat race took place and a few members of club gathered at the Lagos Yacht Club and watched gleefully as Cambridge defeated Oxford by one and a half lengths.
On Saturday July 10, 2010 the Summer Ball took place at the Metropolitan Club.The event was very well attended and members enjoyed themselves thoroughly, some leaving as late as 2.00 am. Yinka Akinkugbe brought his usual flair to the event and the band Adrenaline provided an ecletic mix of music that catered to all tastes and Yomi Sax added the extra touch of musical class.
You are all aware, traditionally the May Ball takes place in June after examinations. As the Ball took place in July we decided to rename it the Summer Ball so as not to break with tradition.
Unfortunately we were unable to organize a spring lecture. Some may know that the rational for the Spring Lecture is to provide a current or past head of state or someone else of similar status and calibrea neutral platform to present an addressontopics of national or international import. Under the auspices of the Club, serious policy or other matters affecting Nigeria are expected to be addressed before a very canvassed. The state of health of late president Shehu Musa Yaradua prevented us from inviting him.
As the Spring Lecture did not take place we made an attempt to hold in its stead a 50thIndependence Anniversary Lecture. Unfortunately, the lecture did not hold because the President Jonathan’s schedule was full and many of the other potential speakers were not available at that time because of clashes in their schedule.
In June 2011 the Committee organized the May Ball. This time in June.Bayo Osolake chaired the May Ball Committee. He and other members of the committee did an excellent job. The event was held again atthe Metropolitan Club. By popular demand music was once again provided by Adrenaline. In response to member’s wishes food was provided this time by La Scala restaurant.
Over the last 2 years, we lost some prominent members of our Club. We were very saddened to learn of the death at 58, of our immediate past President, Ms. Genevieve UzoamakaOnyiuke on Sunday March 6, 2011.
The Committee paid a condolence visit to her mother and other members of the family. The Committee and some members of the Club also donated money to place an obituary in a national newspaper. Presidents of the Club also contributed to place another obituary.
In it they said that ‘she was an active and committed member of the club and later, a diligent, resourceful and indefatigable officer…….as we bid farewell to Genevieve, we are comforted and consoled by the legacy of caring and service that she left behind, by the sparkle in her eyes and the joy and laughter that she brought to the lives of those who had the privilege of knowing her’
The Club was represented at her funeral by Mr. Chris Anyaegbunam, the Vice President. We owe him our gratitude.
We had not recovered from Genevieve’ death when just over a month later on the 10th of April 2011 another active member of the Club Mr. AdegboyegaOjora passed on aged 51. His sudden and premature death truly shocked all of us. A condolence visit was paid to his family and members of the Club turned out in large numbers to pay him the last respects.Gbegi was a true gentleman and was very supportive of the club in many ways.
A distinguished elder statesman Chief Emmanuel ChikereAkwiwu SAN, CON, KSC, Fitzwilliam, Cambridge 1945, died at the age of 87, on November 1, 2011. He was the Deputy Speaker in the First Republic. He was in active legal practice Aba till his death.
The Chief was very interested in the affairs of the club and demanded regular updates about its activities from his daughter Ada who also attend Fitzwilliam.
We also note with sadness the death of Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, IkembaNnewi on 26th November 2011.While a very significant chapter in our nation’s history might be closed, the issues raised by his life are even more pertinent today and demand urgentresolution. Much is expected from members of this club as they contribute in various ways to the national discourse in the years to come.
May I ask you all to rise for a minutes silence in their memory.
May their souls rest in peace.
I am pleased to report that the British High Commissioner has agreed in principle to host members of the club at a receptionat a mutually convenient date. Arrangements will be announced in due course.
I am also pleased to report that the board of directors of Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited approved the award of a bursary to support Nigerian students studying engineering at either Oxford or Cambridge universities. The company has opened discussions with the Student Support Development Manager at Oxford University and the Head of Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. This is a significant milestone and achievement for the Club and I thank Bristows on your behalf.
May I end this report on a note of sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who supported this committee over the last two years. I thank in particular the elders and past presidents of the club for their support and guidance. Of course I owe a debt of gratitude to all the members of my committee. I enjoyed working with you all and I have been enriched by the experience. I thank particularly Chris Anyaegbunamthe Vice President and Peter Alexander Ashikiwe-Egom for their wise counsel.
Of course we did not achieve all we set out to do. I take responsibility and apologise for our inadequacies and failures. We certainly could have done a lot better.
I thank on behalf of this committee all the members of the club for the confidence reposed in us, for giving us the opportunity to serve.
Finally, I wish the incoming committee the very best.
Thank you and God bless.
L. Fubara Anga
President