Friday, the 24TH of the month of November this year, the chairmen of the seven North-western states of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) had a meeting at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. The meeting according them, extensively deliberated on issues of utmost importance to the growth of the association in North-West zone, Nigeria
In attendance were their host Zaharadeen Saleh of Kano SWAN, Nasir Gide of Katsina SWAN, Muritala Rabi’u of Zamfara SWAN, Shehu Abdullahi of Kaduna SWAN, Suleiman Isyaku Sayyadi of Jigawa SWAN, Kabiru Gobirawa of Sokoto SWAN and lastly Mansur Sanchi of Kebbi SWAN.
As usual, they signed and issued a communique at the end of the meeting which equally exposed them and their evil plans. Their evil plan was to oust our incumbent and credible Zonal Vice President Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim of the association from his position and plant the sponsors of their illegal and evil meeting. God forbid.
According to them, they were in Kano and deliberated at length for the good of the society and reached the followings:-
Firstly, they declared support for the National Executive Committee, NEC of the association under the leadership of Comrade Benjamin Isaiah.
Secondly, they averred their loyalty and promised to work with the newly elected national leadership of the association in all areas that will improve the welfare and professional capacity of their state members.
Thirdly, the chairmen applauded the President Benjamin Isaiah and NEC of the association for ensuring peace and stability reigns in the association, expressing confidence that the new national leadership is exhibiting the level of commitment and capacity that is required to drive the association to greater heights.
Fourthly, which was the main aim of the meeting was the dismissal of the appointment of someone they called ‘one’ Muhammad Mansur Ibrahim as the vice president of the association, in the zone describing the appointment as unfit.
They then called on NEC to hurriedly rescind his appointment because according to them the newly appointed zonal vice president lacks the requisite commitment, professional skills and status and the vision to lead the association at the zonal level.
They further selfishly appealed to the President and Secretary General to consider the appointment of their anointed Lord, who also sponsored their gathering, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa Garu as Ex-Officio of the association.
They selfishly see Malikawa’s appointment as an Ex-Officio from the zone as far better than that of Vice President for the same zone.
The valueless and meaningless chairmen’s meeting also see their sponsored Lord as one who can strengthen the ongoing unification exercise in the national whole body and specifically in the zone.
After going through the summation and requests of the chairmen I became disappointed with the SWAN’s chairmen especially that of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa and Sokoto states for allowing Zaharaddeen and Malikawa to play with their intelligence.
Honestly I didn’t expect people of their dignity, caliber and integrity to allow themselves to be used by Zaharaddeen and Malikawa for their selfish, irrational and myopic interest.
But to understand where they derive the powers to the way they acted, I went through the SWAN Statues to see if there is any provision in the statutes that empowers them come together and plan a coup against the much respected Vice President in-charge of the zone, but I discovered there is none.
In fact, the SWAN’s Statutes only recognizes four meetings or gatherings namely:- National Congress Meeting, National Full Council Meeting, National Executive Committee Meeting and General Meetings of State Branches. But not zonal meetings to organize a coup.
And the only place where SWAN Statues named Zonal offices was under Article 19: The Administration of the Association where it states under (b) Zonal Offices are to be run by Vice Presidents of each zones. The Statute does not empower state chairmen to come together or be used by anybody to come together and plan evil.
And what I expected to hear or see from them in the statement they issued was the serialization of all the problems that hampers sports development in Kano and other states in the zone because the zone is the most backward of all zones in the country.
All I know about sports in Kano is something else. It is in shambles. Power mongers have hijacked it, but SWAN is blind and sees nothing wrong with that.
We have a lot of issues bedeviling sports and sports administration in Kano. But all Kano SWAN is more interested and concerned in, is how to make Malikawa just an Ex-Officio of the National body of the association and not how to find a solution to the problems.
Like Kano, other north-western states too have myriads of problems and inadequacies that surround their sports which combine and impede sports developments in those states. But like Kano SWAN, the north-western states SWAN too are not bothered with that.
It is bad that the chairman did not see any wrong for the whole states in the region if not Kaduna to for once host either the National Sports Festival or National Youth Games talk less of National Para-Games. But sadly, It is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim, that is their problem.
The North-western SWAN is eyeless of the fact that, apart from Kano and Katsina, the game of soccer is not popular and developed in all the remaining five North-western states. Sadly it is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim, that is their problem.
Far back in the zone, we used to have Kano Pillars, Katsina United, Jigawa Golden Stars, Kaduna United and Zamfara United FCs playing big time football in the country but today it is only Kano Pillars FC and Katsina United FC that are in the premier league. But this doesn’t concern them as it is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim, that is their problem.
Moreover, both Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa and Katsina always performed poorly in the National Sports Festival and Youth Games if at all they participate which in most cases they don’t. But it is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim, that is their problem.
Another unfortunate situation is that nearly all the states in the zone hardly have their states teams’ participating in the National Competitions but it didn’t concern them. It is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim, that is their problem.
It is also a fact that most of these north-western states did not have an Olympic size or standard stadium which is the roots for sports development. But it is one, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim that is their problem.
To most of us, the coming together of the chairmen of the zone must be to study all the impediments and weaknesses that clog the wheel of sports development and forward how to address them and forward them all to the governors of the zone for further action.
It is once again sad that all they are after is the removal of somebody we all see as more valuable and credible than most of them from the position that God gave to him.
We have witnessed how Malikawa used Zaharadden Saleh conniving and axed Ado Salisu, the former vice president of the zone over the misbehavior Malikawa and Zaharaddeen have committed more than that of Ado Salisu.
For their information they have failed squarely because their evil plans will not work. SWAN is just an association for every interested sports journalists and not a personal belongings of anybody.
Most of us see Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim as the best option that the national body wisely selected to occupy the position of Vice President North.
It is only Zaharadden Saleh that sees the position of Ex-Officio as more important than that of the vice president north. He should know that the pocketing of Kano SWAN himself and his Lord have successfully effected is temporary as their domineering tendencies are over.
For their information most of us see Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim as a respectable individual who is a serious, dedicated and hardworking personality, one who has the ability to do his journalistic both in Hausa, English fluently anytime anywhere.
For Zaharaddeen and Malikawa’s information, most of us see Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim as an exceptionally brilliant broadcaster, a man cut out for greatness. A man who is making a big statement with his achievements in the electronics media not only in the north but the country at large.
His choice by the national body of SWAN as the new VP North is never a mistake as he has an edge over all of those that aspired.
Ibrahim rose to prominence through hard work and dedication to duty. He carved a niche for himself as an outstanding pen pusher as a highly respected individual for his seriousness, professional and sound administrative skills. That explains why most of us see him as the right person for the job.
Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim is a sportswriter, commentator, an analyst, a producer and reporter in both English, Hausa and other languages.
Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim was at the Bayero University, Kano and had a Diploma in Public Administration, Bsc Political Science, PGDPPA, MPPA and many certificates from other institutions. He also have a Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.
Without mincing words, we see the VP North among the few broadcasters not only in the state that worked their way up to the ladder of success through courage and determination.
Therefore, comparing this particular gentleman with others is a joke. And I challenged Zahraddeen Saleh to do the same illustration I did here for his Lord for people to judge.
He should know that we are tired of having excessive leaders in our midst who only have themselves but no one else.
Lastly, I don’t see any rationality in what the north-western states SWAN chairmen are pushing at all because they want to lose the position of vice president for the zone for the position of just an Ex-officio. No one can equate the two.
Of course the vice president is more prominent, more powerful than that of an Ex-Officio. The two positions are not comparable.
To me, next time this type of thing happens, they should look for things that will develop sports in the zone and not push the interest of an excessive leader.
It is really sad and unfortunate that the SWAN president is alleged to have his hands in this unholy and unconstitutional act.
And I urged him to stay out of it if it is true because he is going to drag the association into unnecessary litigation which will draw it back.