Baru, Omoluwa light up Kaduna Golf Club

What is life without a dream for a decade now, the Kaduna Golf Club has been seeking ways and opportunities to relive its glorious years, but to no avail. But then a new Captain, Ibrahim Biu, a retired Colonel, was voted into power and things started to smell roses.

Biu, upon attaining power moved into swift action. He knew it by heart that staging regular tourneys will quickly throw this club, founded in 1921, to its glorious past, began churning out quality tourneys that got golfers from the northern region busy every week. But not one soul believed the Club could come up with such a mega event like the NNPC Downstream golf event that played out in Kaduna last Saturday.

It was a one-day event but over 350 golfers from across Nigeria showed up. The organizers were in a fit of frenzy and all actions were quickly geared towards how best to accommodate the multitude. Instantly, the crowds were shared into the morning and afternoon sessions and the ‘gun-shot’ method was adopted as means of teeing off. Upon all these, several golfers were still screened.

When Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC arrived the scene to attend to the official teeing off ceremony, he was blinking back tears of joy. Moving along, hand in hand, with a Patron of the Club, Sir Lucky Omoluwa confessed that he never believed golf could pack as much crowd as in football. Momentarily, he promised that the downstream tourney will be a yearly event at the Kaduna Golf Club. Baru again added that since the game of golf is so tasking and has a lot to do with human composure, he would see no reason why majority of the work-force of NNPC would not partake in it.

Sir Omoluwa who put in so much to see to the revival of the Kaduna Golf Club stated that he was not surprised that NNPC could stage such a wonderful tourney. He added that the NNPC GMD, Baru, assured him that next year’s downstream tourney could be a Pro-Am.

Showing uncommon respect for Baru, the management of the Kaduna Golf Club presented him with a Titleist golf set. As the set was being placed in the boot of Baru’s jeep, Vice-Captain of the Kaduna Golf Club, Barrister Emma Owoicho, prayed that Baru would see cause that would not make him forget the set in his jeep.

Goodnight, Jamiu Oyebajo

Jamiu Oyebajo, one of the first five golf professionals in Nigeria passed on Tuesday. He was buried in Lagos yesterday.

For years, Jamiu Oyebajo was the Resident Pro of the Ikeja Golf Club. He indeed tutored several golf professionals among them was Ralph Iyonagbe, who won about every golf trophy in this country.

Jamiu Oyebajo was stern and upright. He was a former Director of the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria.