Comrade Ikemefuna Asika, the South East Zonal Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria(SWAN), has reiterated that the association is one under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ).
He made the clarification while administering oath of office on the newly inaugurated executive members of the Edo State Chapter of SWAN on Thursday afternoon.
He urged the members of the chapter to operate as a united entity and nourish their relationship with the national body under the leadership Benjamin Isaiah, the National President.
Asika allayed the misconception that the association is independent of the parent umbrella of Journalists, the NUJ, saying, “it’s completely wrong for anyone to say that the SWAN is independent of the NUJ. The NUJ is the parent body of the SWAN.
“For anybody to be a SWAN member such a person must first be a member of the NUJ. There’s no confusion or two ways about that,” he reaffirmed.
He challenged the newly inaugurated executive members to work assiduously to lift the profile of the association and its members. He disclosed that the rules guiding the activities of the association has been modified to let the state chapters to be the sole recipients of members annual dues payment which is then forwarded to the national headquarters.
In his acceptance speech, Comrade Kehinde Osagiede, the new Edo SWAN Chairman, was full of praises for the turn of events for the better for the state chapter of SWAN which had been comatosed for more than four years.
He promised to keep the association’s flag flying high at all times and in all occasions thanking the members for their support and diligence throughout the halcyon days of near total inactivity.
Delivering his message of goodwill, Comrade Andy Egbon, the Secretary of the State Council of the NUJ, who represented the Chairman of the Council, Comrade Festus Alenkhe at the occasion, expressed his joy at the revival of activities of the SWAN in the state after a long period of lull promising that the association will always enjoy the support of the Council whenever needed.
Those inaugurated were Kehinde Osagiede (Chairman), Moses Idahosa (Secretary), Adeleke Ayoola (Asst. Secretary) and Igunma Nosakhare (Treasurer).
