OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE 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 Anyaegbunam
Vice President
Akinfela Akoni
Honorary Secretary
Olayemi Anyanechi
Honorary Secretary
Bayo Osolake
Membership Secretary
Peter Alexander Ashikiwe- Egom
Social Secretary
Danlami Basharu
Member
Yewande Zaccheaus
Member
Stella Amachree
Member
After serving for 4 years, the Committee led by Ms Genevieve
Uzoamaka Onyiuke the 1st female president of the Club and 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 1st hosted 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
calibre a neutral platform to present an address on topics 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 50th Independence 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
at the 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 Uzoamaka Onyiuke 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. Adegboyega Ojora 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 Chikere Akwiwu
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 OdumegwuOjukwu, Ikemba Nnewi 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
urgent resolution. 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 reception at 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 Anyaegbunam the 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