Date: 2016-07-14

AN INAUGURAL ADDRESS PRESENTED BY HONOUR SIRAWOO, THE 10TH PRESIDENT OF THE SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (SWAN) TODAY, THE 13TH OF JULY, 2016 AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTER, ILORIN, KWARA STATE.

I stand here today grateful for the trust you have bestowed on us but humbled by the task ahead. I thank my predecessor, President Saidu Abubakar and other past Presidents for their service to the association and our dear country.

That we are in the midst of a gathering cloud is now well understood. This association is badly weakened: a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some and our collective failure to make sacrifices and to prepare the association for a new age.

Today, the challenges we face in the actualization of our aims and objectives are real and many; they will not be erased easily, but know this SWAN, they will be upturned, because we have chosen unity of purpose over fragmentation, discord and petty grievances that for long have strangled our dignity and growth. This journey that we begin today is not for those who prefer leisure over work or seek only the pleasures of riches but for committed and makers of things.

My colleagues, everywhere we look, there is work to be done, the state of SWAN calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act; not only to create a database of membership, which will be reviewed annually and a robust website for the association, but to work towards securing a permanent secretariat. We will institute an annual award for sportsmen, women, corporate organizations and individuals. We will advocate and encourage an annual sports summit among stakeholders on issues of sports development and partner corporate organizations as well as individuals to organize sporting events for national interest.

The annual SWAN President's Cup will be on stream; just as we will introduce an interactive forum called "SWAN PLATFORM" to enable members interface with critical stakeholders. There will be workshops, seminars, training and exchange programmes to enhance the capacity of sports journalists towards effective service delivery.

We will not only strengthen our presence in the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and promote synergy with critical stakeholders and corporate organizations to achieve sponsorship, and development of our profession, but defend the rights and privileges of members at all times as well as ensure swift and prompt reaction to issues of national interest.

p>These, we will do in line with our Vision which is "SWAN as a catalyst for sports development anchored on professionalism and dignity," and Mission centered on "entrenching a culture of professionalism and sound ethics for the advancement of sports and sports journalism in accordance with SWAN statutes for the restoration of our dignity and rights."

urge those who may question the scale of our programme to sum-up the impact of imagination and necessity when joined to common purpose, and courage. What is required of us is a new era of responsibility, and recognition on the part of every member, that we have duties to ourselves, profession and nation.

Distinguish guests, that sports provides employment, create wealth, tourism and reduces vices among youths as well as unite people is not in doubt; that at 56 with a population of over 170 million people spread across 36 states and Abuja, Nigeria is still backward in sports development is well known; our country cannot boast of a world class coach in any sporting arena, yet we are a nation with great potentials.

It is a fact that most Nigeria's sportsmen and women, who choose to naturalize in other countries, perform well and those who ply their sporting talents in other countries equally progress economically and enjoy goodwill as well as respect from the home front. These are indicators that institutions and agencies saddled with the responsibility of developing the sports sector in our country have failed.

My distinguished colleagues, over 120 trillion dollars circulate annually in the sporting environment across the world; we need not be blinded by oil revenue that has showed signs of unsustainability. Sports, if properly harnessed can effectively assist agriculture and other economic viable initiatives in creating wealth for our people and country.

As a way forward, we therefore challenge the federal government to come up with its strategic blueprint for our country's sports development, as a demonstration of its seriousness in the sector. We advocate a reappraisal of the Act establishing the Nigeria Institute of Sports (NIS) with a view to upgrading the center to a degree awarding institution. This, we believe will properly equip coaches and others that seek knowledge to the benefit of sports development in our country and beyond.

To facilitate the process of reaping effectively from the trillions in the sports world, we recommend the establishment of a Sports University with Campuses and faculties located in areas peculiar to particular Sports. This institution just like the Petroleum Training Institute, Law, Medical and Journalism Schools, will refine the raw Sports talents abound in our land for a guaranteed market besides putting our youths off vices. We prescribe sports attache in Nigerian Embassies across the world to monitor sports development and innovations in order to put our country up to speed with current trend.

In line with our objectives and commitment to the growth of sports, wealth creation and peace, we will partner sports professionals, administrators and lawyers to propose a private bill to be presented to the National Assembly for consideration and also visit our country's President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and the Minister of Sports to share thoughts, lay our expertise and suggestions for the benefit of our Nation.

My fellow Sports Writers, our present state calls for tough and swift decisions, which we must accept and shoulder in the march towards restoring our dignity. In view of the enormous work staring at us and the need to strengthen the association to be more service oriented, especially at the zones, I hereby relying on article 15 of our statutes that vest emergency powers on the President announce the expansion of the National Executive Committee to accommodate zonal secretaries.

Similarly, over the years, SWAN has operated as an association without a place for its past leaders thereby denying the association vital goodwill they cultivated while in office and suppressing successive administrations' opportunity to tap from their wealth of experience. Consequently, I hereby in line with Article 15 announce the creation of an Advisory Council at the national level consisting of past Presidents, Advisory Committee at the zonal level consisting of past Vice Presidents and State level consisting of past Chairmen. These former leaders should henceforth see themselves as ambassadors of SWAN and a rallying point for our common good.

It is sad that at 52 we don't have a record of the number of persons appointed (dead or alive), as Grand Patrons, Pillars, Patrons and Matrons at all level, neither do we have their contacts. From henceforth, we shall not only look for these distinguished individuals in our times of need but play a brother's keeper role.

strengthen this position, still anchoring on Article 15, I hereby announce the establishment of a "Reach Out Committee" to be headed by the President with the Deputy National President and National Ex-Officios as members, while the Secretary-General will serve as secretary.

The committee is expected to identify these persons and regularly interface with them. Zones and States are hereby directed to replicate same. Fellow Sports Writers, our harmony and unity of purpose over the years face severe threat. The fabric of our association sits on a keg of gun powder, and being exploited by criminals parading as members while acknowledging the freedom of association, we cannot compromise our common unity. Let us recognize that under the SWAN sodality we are one; which must manifest and reflect in our actions.

In the light of this, all forums and groups within SWAN are hereby banned while every member and officials of the association seeking assistance or support from government, corporate organizations or individuals in the name of SWAN at all level must henceforth seek clearance from the National Secretariat.

These decisions reached in the interest of our association after extensive consultations, will be communicated to NEC and full Council with a view to reflecting same in our Statutes during amendments. My colleagues, as we begin the process of rebuilding SWAN, let us endure the storms that may come. Lets equip posterity with the knowledge that when we were tested we refused to let the journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we waver and with our eyes fixed on our common purpose we delivered it safely to future generations.

Long live the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria

Long live the federal Republic of Nigeria Thank you and may God bless us.