The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says the IBB International Golf and Country Club will be renovated and upgraded to international standards.

Mr Wike disclosed this when he visited the club in Abuja on Saturday to assess the facilities.

He said the renovation would begin with the Club House, where golfers wine, dine and unwind stress, under emergency intervention.

The minister added that the other sections of the club would be renovated and upgraded in phases.

He said the renovation would be handled by Julius Berger Construction Company, which built the facilities in 1991.

Mr Wike said the club would remain closed until the renovation was concluded to prevent it from degenerating.

“It is better we put the place in order quickly so that when people come in, they will have where they can relax, have their drinks and rest,” the minister said.

According to him, making the club a tourist centre will attract investments.

“However, I want to advise the Board of Trustees (BOT) to initiate some innovative ideas for revenue generation to maintain the club instead of depending wholly on the government,” he said.

The minister explained that the BoT and the interim management committee (IMC) were constituted to manage the club as government property.

He said the step became necessary because the government is not a good manager of facilities.

The minister urged the BoT and the IMC members to work as a team to uplift the standard of the club to international standards.

“That’s why we will not allow anybody to take what belongs to us. We will not allow that; any move to sabotage what we are doing will not be tolerated,” Mr Wike said.

Earlier, the BoT chairperson, Monica Dongban-Mensem, appealed to Mr Wike to renovate the club and upgrade its standard to be at par with the rehabilitated Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

Ms Dongban-Mensem, who is the president of the Court of Appeal, recalled that the club was built by the federal government and opened to the public in 1991.

She noted that the club, which began with 29 members, now has 5,000 members using the same facilities. Ms Dongban-Mensem pointed out that the facilities at the club have worn out due to excessive use over the years.

Ms Dongban-Mensem added that if upgraded, the facility will become a tourist attraction site and boost the country’s economy.

(NAN)