In a keynote lecture he delivered recently at the Centenary celebration of the Yoruba Tennis Club in Lagos, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State made the point that democracy must be measured by the quality of governance it produces. In this essay, Etim Etim captures the salient points of the governor’s thesis
Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos was founded in 1926 by a group of 25 young Nigerians to provide sporting, recreational and social facilities for Nigerians who were not admitted into similar facilities owned and managed by the colonial authorities then. Lagos was then a highly segregated town, with the British colonial officers working on the Marina and living in Ikoyi. Nigerians were not allowed to go near Ikoyi. The closest they came close was Onikan, some three or four kilometers away.
This year marks the centenary anniversary of YTC which, expectedly, has grown in membership from the initial 25 to over 2,000 today. It is one of the most prestigious social clubs in Lagos, in the same league with Ikoyi Club, founded in 1928 and Ikeja Country Club.
A series of yearlong activities have been designed to commemorate the milestone anniversary, including anniversary lectures to be given by a reputable thought leader. The first was delivered by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in February, the second by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State in April and the third by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state on Thursday, August 8.
