By our Reporter
The F’s club, a social group has inducted 43 new members after a rigorous selection process to foster the tenets of the club.
Sparklight News reports that the F’s club which means Friends club is a social club which was inaugurated in 1980 to foster mutual relationship among members and promote philanthropy in its immediate society.
The induction of the club’s new members was done on Saturday, in Lagos.
In his welcome address, the president of the F’s club, Chief La-olu Osanyin, said the inductees were selected after a rigorous scrutiny.
“We congratulate the new inductees of the F’s club, they have gone through what we call the crucible. They have been rigorously screened and they know our expectations.
“It is imperative to state that the inductees are the successful ones out of hundreds who applied and were deemed fit and proper to be admitted as members months after rigorous activities and close scrutiny of their personal, civic and personal lives.
“We know their character and we are proud to showcase them because we know that they are. We can assert to their integrity. We can assert their competence, their character, assert to their business acumen and we know they are not money driven.
They are family oriented, societally relevant, with the intention of trying to have an impact into our society,” Osanyin said.
Speaking on the philanthropy of the club, he noted that , “What we have done as a club is to extend our mentorship, to boys who have worked with us, we have their education and some of them are now our members.
“We have been able to empower some young ones to the extent that they are doing Masters degree, some of them are working in government.
“As a club we have contributed to the society through our major pillar, which is philanthropy. We have given scholarships to students of the University of Lagos and Yaba College of technology. We have also given financial assistance to injured soldiers because we also felt that is just a way to empower them,” he said.
On his part, the chairman induction committee, Asiwaju Temitope Olabode, congratulated the new Inductees of the club.
“And usually the criteria stands out for us among so many clubs in Lagos, because we are very, very particular and meticulous about the social standing of people we induct into the club.
I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to our new members, your interest in joining our community is a testament to your commitment to the vision of our founding fathers.
“And I will say this with no out of doubt that for you to be a member of F’s club, you have to be a Nigerian male. And of course, you must be a graduate before you can be admitted into our fold.
“For us, who joined years after, have also been able to stick to this, and we hope that we also pass the same to the members coming behind us, because we are very strict about who becomes a member of F’s Club.
“So that is why in the last 44 years, we have only admitted just about 258 members. We are a social philanthropic club. So we hammer more on philanthropic activities of the club.
“We do a lot from scholarships to employment and for inter personal relationship with community,” Olabode said.
Also applauding the new inductees, a former President F’s club, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, spoke on the essence of the club to nation building.
“The F’s club has been in existence for 44 years this year, I joined the club in 1983 and became President of the club in 1989.
“F’s club is about nurturing friendship , we are friends that help the society, and then do whatever you can to assist the ecosystem that has been, very friendly to you.
“Sometimes you have your downtime. We came together to assist. We still do it now.
“And of note is the fact that we believe in philanthropy, we have a scholarship programme, particularly for indigenous people around the club.
“So in the last 44years, we have been able to manage about 100 scholarships graduating students. Some of the male students that graduated are members of this club.
“The F’s is a bond that transcends friendship. We are brothers. The only thing that we have not done is we do not have female members,” Ashafa said.
One of the new inductees of the F’s club, Dr. Babatunde Faustino, expressed his joy of being a part of the club.
“I feel excited being a member of the prestigious F’s club, because it is a social club of excellence and difference. So I feel proud of being a member of this club.
“I have been in contact with the club for the past seven years, club observes potential for certain qualities and image reputation that is good enough to induct them into the club.
“And so I built my reputation over the years to earn me the medal to be considered as a member of F’s Club, So I feel privileged to be part of the club,” Babatunde said.
Another newly inductee of the club, Mr Chijioke Ezeh, expressed his joy at the acceptance of the club.
“I am popularly known as last born among the inductees, because currently I have the newest number, 284, so until a new member joins the club and is given a new number, I remain the last born.
“I consider it a very honourable thing to be part of the F’s club because the place is full of respectable individuals, politically, people who have done well, professionally, people who have done very well.
“So I find it a thing of honour to be in their midst. I grew up not far from here, so growing up, we would go by the road and I would see F’s club.
“I have always thought all kinds of things about it, but now being a member, I realize that it is a club I should have joined a long time before now.
“I have benefited their friendship, their respect, and at least on my birthday, they went all the way to show me that I am of value to them, that that touches,” Ezeh said.
