Soboma Ajumogobia

the need to protect that name.

Perhaps, Adeola had his reasons. Ajumogobia was assuming the leadership of a rotary club that was not only rich in history but also boasts of illustrious past presidents, both alive and from here departed. The first president of the Club was the late Chief S.L Edu, a Lagosian of repute and father of Chief Yomi Edu. In fact, the late Edu was the pioneer president of the Club between 1961 and 1962. Another past president was the late Chief H.O Davies. Davies was president between 1965 and 1966. Another late past president was J. Akin-George who was president between 1971 and 1972. Among living past president was a lady lawyer, Hairat Balogun, though president between 2012 and 2013, she was the first female president of the Club. Adeniyi Sowemimo, the current director of projects of the Club, was president between 2005 and 2006, while Larry Agose, former corporate affairs adviser of brewing giants, Nigerian Breweries Plc, was president between 2015 and 2016 and was succeeded by Gladys Sasore, a lawyer and former presidential adviser, who was the second female president of the Club who interestingly was the one who handed over to Ajumogobia last week.

With this rich presidential succession heritage, Ajumogobia had his job cut out for him to surpass these illustrious past presidents in the area of projects execution. But anyone who knows Ajumogobia would attest to the fact that he was more than capable of meeting expectations and surpassing them.

Born on December 1st, 1963, Ajumogobia, a native of present day Rivers State, had the best upbringing anyone of his generation would always dream of. He had his early education at Corona School in Lagos and later attended the prestigious Government College, Umuhahia, in present day Abia State. Soboma, as his colleagues like to call him, actually completed his secondary education in Tanzania as his father, who was then with UNESCO, had been transferred to that East African country.

The new President of Rotary Club of Lagos attended the University of Salford, in Manchester, United Kingdom, where he bagged a bachelor’s degree in Biology but also with double honours in Physiology and Zoology. Soboma started as a banker with Chase Merchant Bank Limited, the Nigerian affiliate of Chase Manhattan Bank in