The Kwara State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has elected new executive committee members to pilot the chapter’s affairs for the next three years.
Ayodeji Ismail of Kwara Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara) emerged the new Chairman in a keenly-contested election conducted Monday, after polling 17 votes.
He defeated Olayinka Owolewa of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who polled 13 votes.
Toyin Saheed of Sobi FM emerged the Vice-Chairman unopposed, while Dare Kuti of ACL Sports also emerged as the Secretary unopposed.
Sodiq Adebara of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) ldofian emerged as the Assistant Secretary, while Nicholas Uwerunonye of Daily Independent becomes the new Treasurer, also unopposed.
The new Financial Secretary and the Welfare Officer also emerged unopposed, with Nusirat Popoola and Bamidele Obaseesin being elected respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Ismail said he would justify the confidence reposed in him by working towards revamping the association.
He added he would also consolidate on the gains of his predecessors and improve on their weakness.
”As we receive the mantle of leadership today, we are hitting the ground running without further delay.
”Our tenure will focus on training and retraining of members, completion of our secretariat, improvement of welfare package for members and partnering relevant organisations to achieve the set objectives.
”We will work towards strengthening our membership and this will be achieved by reaching out to new media houses which are springing up across the state.
”The chapter will open its official Facebook page, Twitter, IG and website to further project our image as well as assist in disseminating information on various sports’ development programmes in the state,” the new chairman said.
Ismail then solicited the maximum cooperation and understanding of members as they begin the process of rejuvenating the association.
Earlier in his speech, the immediate-past Chairman, Jimoh Bashir, said there was the need to re-examine the level of relationship journalists hold with other sports stakeholders.
”We should bear in mind that as journalists, we are the watch-dogs of the society.
”Our activities, utterances and sentimental dispositions shoud take cognissance of these provisions.
”We have also introduced some individuals into our activities beyond the level of welcome.
”And some of these practices have continued to threaten our unity, and as we know, without unity, we can never achieve anything positive.
”We must all bear it in mind that selling ourselves cheaply means devaluing our association which is giving us relevance,” Bashir said.NAN
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