Does SWAN really exist in Kano?

With due respect to my colleagues who might be offended with my question, but I still asked and need an honest answer if the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) really exists in Kano?

These questions arose from the sad sports situations that keep happening in Kano state and the way Kano SWAN decided to keep quiet as if the state of sports in Kano is in order.

 As I said before, if not because of the communique it issued at the end of its Sani Abacha Stadium congress meeting last Saturday, the 14th May 2023, I can’t recall when last I heard of the name of the association in Kano state.

 My position and thoughts were due to so many reasons which I will list in due course.

But before I put them down, let me first of all ask, what is SWAN? According to www.swannational.com, SWAN is short for The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria and is an association of professional sports journalists in Nigeria.

The association is charged with coordinating the activities of the Nigerian media in the promotion of sports and their socio-cultural values.

Thus, under Article 6 (v) of the Statutes of SWAN, it clearly states under the aims and objectives of SWAN shall: …contribute through advice, suggestion, criticism or other means to the development and growth of sports in Nigeria and elsewhere.

Therefore, if one reads and understands Article 6 (v) of the Statutes of SWAN, he or she will no doubt ask the same question I asked above.

As it is now SWAN in Kano only reports or writes favorable stories from sports scenes and events. They don’t follow what Article 6 (v) of the Statutes of SWAN enshrined.

They keep away or fail to expose evil deeds from the public for reasons best known to them.

And the article above clearly said it all that the association shall contribute through advice, suggestion, criticism or other means to the development and growth of sports in Nigeria and elsewhere.

To me and many others, Kano SWAN is not living up to its expectation and is why sports in the state is a total mess.

I don’t want to comment on the outcome of their meeting and their communique because it does not reflect the true picture of their minds. I see that meeting as sponsored by those who felt shortchanged by the situation in the National SWAN.

But my problem with SWAN in Kano is that they allowed themselves to be pocketed by selfish members of SWAN and selfish sports administrators in the state and this is why SWAN is totally blind to all the negative issues and ills that surround and impede sports in Kano state.

They should remember that they are called and referred to as professionals and not amateur and that is the very reason why they need to do what is expected from them.

It is a raw fact that sports in Kano is in jeopardy and SWAN as a watch-dog is just looking helplessly because that is what those teleguiding them want them to do. Too bad.

I could remember the advice I gave when the new Exco was elected some years ago. I recalled challenging them to wake the association up from the slumber which the predecessors have plunged it into through their insensibility, highhandedness, craze for power and recognition.

I also remembered telling them that some sports stakeholders in Kano state have since lost confidence in the association and its membership because they lost focus and not doing what was expected from them.

As I said it before, Kano sports is in jeopardy and Kano SWAN being pocketed by those that killed the sector have no courage and ego to expose them and their evil acts.

Up to today, Kano SWAN did not inform us the reason why Kano Pillars FC  was relegated to the lower and unattracted NNL League. And they did not propose any way(s) to forestall it.

I still did not see any condemnation from Kano SWAN on the unfortunate behavior of the Kano Pillars sacked management committee chairman and the embarrassment he brought to Kano state.

Kano SWAN have never informed us how sacked Kano Pillars management allegedly forged one document that they presented to NFF before they were allowed to return to Sani Abacha Stadium from Katsina before their banishment to  Lakoja.

Kano SWAN have not even for once asked Kano State Football Association to respect the Nigeria Football Federation directives by organizing Council/FA Elections.

We only heard that an election timetable was released on Monday 15th May 2023 and election held 17th May 2023. There was no meeting to that effect, no committee to that effect and no appeal committee to that effect.

It is sad that Kano SWAN has allowed an excessive set of leaders to take over our sports to their advantage. 

What happened in Kano FA is very unfortunate and unacceptable.

Other states gave ample time for the elections by putting all necessary machinery and doing all what is required by the law but here in Kano the story is different and Kano SWAN is silent.

That is why to most of us there were no elections in Kano FA because due process is not followed.

Again Kano SWAN was mute on the crisis that erupted and stalled the Multi-million Naira Kano Aspera Marathon which Kano State Sports Commission unjustly created.

Kano SWAN was mute about the abortive hosting right of National Youth Games 2022 in Kano which was given to Delta state.

Kano SWAN is also mute and refused to say anything about the abortive Kano Pillars FC fans club election 2023.

Kano SWAN is also mute about the failures of the Kano state government to honor the two National Sports Festivals athletes and officials of 2021 in Edo and 2022 in Delta respectively.

These were young males and females who did well and proud for Kano state with medals but up to now they were not honored with any awards and gifts by the Kano State Government.

It is a fact that Kano State Sports Commission operates in the last four years without a board but Kano SWAN didn’t see any reason to call for the re-constitute its board.

I also observed that more than 34 Sports Associations in Kano state have been operating without appointed chairmen and members for the last 4 years in the state and Kano SWAN  did not see reason to ask the Sports Commission to do so.

Kano SWANs as a genuine stakeholder can check all evils and wrong doings through their regular meetings which the few that hijacked the association will not allow.

To me, these are few indicators among many that seriously weakened SWAN, sports journalism and sports in Kano state.

It is during these meetings that the association can review all the happenings in the state and even in the country and pass its views. 

These views can not necessarily be criticism but can be commendation as the case may be.   

As a watchdog, I expect Kano SWAN to assist the government to develop our fledgling sports for the betterment of our society. This can be achieved by exposing all the culprits that clog the wheel of sports in the state. 

Journalists are fairlesss and must be ready to tell the truth at all times irrespective of who is involved.

My mentor Sani Muhammad Zaria once told me that a journalist must be ready to tell the truth at all times, even at gunpoint. He or she must be a person that can call a spade a spade. But not one who is materialistic and errand boy to bad leaders.

I recalled how Kano SWAN was in the state in those days. It was well organized and was well-known as the only vibrant association in the entire north through its activities, quality leadership and membership. We have an adage in our minds that sabo da kaza…

But it is not late, the group of young and agile people can regroup, fish out the bad eggs and make Kano SWAN what it was before or even better.

Remember that in a few days to come, Kano will have new leadership with different ideologies. SWAN can help them with useful suggestions to build and develop sports in Kano.

Allah bamu sa’ar gyarawa, ameen.