While I was contemplating on the topic of discussion from the number of topics in my mind this week, a Press Release, titled “Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Kano State Chapter Announced for the Appointment of New Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Ex-Officio surfaced into my inbox. But how it came in is a topic of another time.
It was dated 28th November, 2023 and signed by Zaharaddeen Saleh, the newly elected chairman SWAN Kano State Chapter.
The release was the announcement of the appointment of a new Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Ex-Officio which were not vied for during their Thursday 23rd November 2023 election which was held at the premises of Kano State Sports Commission.
According to the re-elected chairman, the decision to appoint the three to fill the vacant posts was taken during the first Executive Committee meeting of the newly elected committee.
Muhammad Nur Tijjani was named as the new Secretary of the association while Muzammil Dalhatu Yola will serve as the New Assistant Secretary of the association.
Similarly, the former vice chairman of the association in the last dispensation, Musbahu Bala Cediyar Yangurasa is now the new Ex-Officio of the association.
After careful study of the chairman’s Press Release, I came to the conclusion that all is not well with Kano SWAN. And my assumption was because of so many reasons which I will discuss.
We all know that Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) is a body or an association for different professional Sports Journalists in Nigeria working in Kano for different media organizations.
The association is charged with coordinating the activities of the Nigerian media in the promotion of sports and their socio-cultural values.
And the aims and objectives of the Association include coordinating the activities of all professional sports writers in the state, defend and uphold the moral and professional rights of members, contribute through advice, suggestions, criticisms or other means to the development and growth of sports in Kano, Nigeria and elsewhere and, collaborate and promote closer relationship between the Association and other stakeholders in the sports industry.
From the above, one can understand that, SWAN in Kano or any other places in Nigeria is for individual sports journalists from different media organizations for a particular purpose but unfortunately not so in this state.
This is because from the number of media stations added with the many online sports sites based in Kano with different sports programmes one will expect the membership of the association in Kano to grow beyond expectation.
But from my understanding the reverse is the case because the association in Kano has been hijacked by some powerful forces who dictate on who to be or not in Kano SWAN or a Kano SWAN member for selfish motives.
How the association lost integrity and glory in Kano and that explained the paucity of people that indicates interest to contest in the election that many stakeholders and the general public are not aware about.
And to the surprise of many, the positions of the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary and Treasurer were all vacant. Nobody, even the former secretary Abdulgafar Oladimeji did not show interest to re-contest and retain his position. One wonders why and how it happened.
Honestly, this is a strength not only in Kano but anywhere in this country or the continent at large because we all know that apart from the chairman’s position, the next powerful position many people are vying and dying for is that of the secretary. This is because of its powerful and rewarding nature.
The secretary is the engine room of any association and his role is to support the chairman in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Executive Committee.
Besides, the Secretary is responsible for ensuring meetings are effectively organized and minuted. He is also to maintain effective records and administration of the association. He is also to uphold the requirements and custody of all association’s documents.
Moreover, the secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the chairman and other committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming constitutional requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation.
The secretary is also one of the signatory to the association’s account and is seen by many as a big and rewarding position. But with all these and many more indicators nobody is interested in the secretary’s position in Kano SWAN. That is bad.
Indeed, nobody is doubting that Kano SWAN is the most vibrant chapter in the whole north. It leads in sports promotion and objective reportage. But that was before and not now. Kano SWAN missed its past glory the very time it allowed itself to be pocketed by its over ambitious members.
It is a fact that SWAN in Kano is pocketed internally and externally. It is internally stolen by some within the association who dictates what to be done or otherwise while SWAN is pocketed externally because some sports administrators who decrees what to be published or aired.
And that reduced Kano SWAN to a mere puppet in the pockets of few and selfish sport administrators and some sports writers.
SWAN is now seen in Kano as a toothless bulldog and that explains why most sports journalists are not interested or keen in identifying with it talkless of being its executive members.
And it is for sure that Kano SWAN failures or in adequacies are seriously affecting sports development in Kano state.
So many anti-sports developmental practices are happening but the association is blind about all of them.
Firstly, Kano SWAN did not see anything wrong with the movie Kano Football Association called elections which was conducted recently as nobody reported all the negativity that surrounded the process which brought the present Kano FA into office.
Secondly, Kano SWAN was deaf and dumb when a multi-million Naira Aspira Kano Marathon was lost. Remember the Aspira Company was to bankroll the first Kano Marathon with N30 million Naira which was first and highest in the history of the state but Kano State Sports Commission intrusion spoiled the show.
Thirdly, Kano SWAN was inaudible when the newly appointed chairman of Kano Pillars Football Club selfishly sidelined his government appointed committee members and relocated the club’s secretariat to Kano State Sports Commission.
Kano SWAN is still silent on the N30 million Naira sponsorship deal between the chairman of Kano Pillars and Gongoni Limited which the club chairman refused to disclosed.
I was also told that Kano SWAN is fully aware that some players and workers of Kano Pillars FC are yet to get their monthly pay months into the new football season.
Whether they like it or not, SWAN, besides being an association of writers, is a pressure group and I see no reason why it should fold its arms and allow sports matters to get worse day by day in Kano.
This because it allowed itself to be under somebody’s control. My investigation revealed that certain individual who had served as the association’s helmsman in the past has undue interest in the association and that is why he doesn’t want any serious fellow close to it, just to push his selfish agenda.
My investigation also uncovered that even the Kano SWAN election was incubated in his office and is still in possession of some properties of Kano SWAN years after leaving office.
My investigation further unfolded that Kano SWAN is not even recognizing the newly appointed Vice President North simply because their “Lord” is not happy with the man who was their former secretary.
He was accused of tele-guiding SWANECO, the body that SWAN constitution saddled with the responsibilities of conducting elections as it was only his boys were given go ahead to contest and those in his bad book were axed.
This, I was reliably told was the factor that created so many vacant positions that led to the co-option of Muhammad Nur Tijjani, Muzammil Dalhatu Yola and Musbahu Bala Cediyar Yangurasa to fill vacant posts.
My word to the new Kano SWAN is to open its arms and embrace all members and move the association forward. They should wake the association up by doing the right thing expected by their constitution.
They should see whoever is pushing them against their colleagues as their first enemy who is doing what he is doing for his selfish interest.
The interest of Kano SWAN must be for total sports development in Kano and not someone else’s selfish interest.
The new Kano SWAN should know that allowing somebody to hijack it and put it in his pocket has negatively affected the association. They should be bold and tell him to allow you to do what the society expects from you and not what he wants.
Kano SWAN should remember that there is the last day which we will all account for our deeds.
A word is enough for…
Allah ya ta ya riko, ameen.