NUJ Midwives Kogi SWAN Elections As New Officials Emerge

  NUJ Midwives Kogi SWAN Elections As New Officials Emerge BY SAM EGWU, Lokoja Kogi State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, yesterday elected new officials to pilot the affairs of the body for the next three years. The officials were elected during the Congress of the Association which held at the Press Centre, NUJ Secretariat, Lokoja, the state capital under the watchful eyes of NUJ Chairman Adeiza Momojimoh and the Secretary of the union Sheidu The exercise was preceded by the dissolution of the caretaker committee under the leadership of Mahmud Onalo, paving the way for elections into the new Exco. Bishop Aturu of the Graphic Newspaper chapel emerged as the consensus candidate hence became the new State Chairman. The congress also affirmed the election of Aliyu Mohammed Lawal of the Federated chapel as Secretary, while Joyce Haruna of the FRCN, Jimgbe, Lokoja became the new Treasurer. Other positions will be filled in due course. In his acceptance speech, the new chairman expressed gratitude to members of the association for their implicit confidence in the ability and capacity of the new executive to deliver, and promised to prioritise their welfare. He assured that Kogi State would regain its pride of place among the comity of states in Nigeria sports, stressing further that all hands must be on deck to realise the lofty objective. Aturu called on the members to rally round the new council to change the narratives of sports in the state, adding that the time to storm the national stage is now. He charged members to embark on aggressive membership drive to recruit people who will actively participate in sports reportage. While promising to partner with other stakeholders in the state to promote the development of grassroots sports, Aturu called on them to involve SWAN in all sporting activities in the state. Earlier, Chairman of the disbanded Caretaker committee, Mahmud Onalo in his remarks, noted that his committee was a child of circumstance, and expressed appreciation to members for giving him the support while he served the association in his capacity as Chairman. Inaugurating the new council, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in the state, Comrade Adeiza Momoh-jimoh flanked by his secretary, who was on hand to ensure a hitch free exercise praised the mature manner with which members of the association conducted themselves. He charged the new executive to promote the development of Sports in the state, and also conduct its activities in line with the provisions of the constitution of the NUJ and confines of the statutes of the association. Momoh-jimoh promised to continue to support the association in whichever area deemed necessary for intervention. He urged the members to join hands with the new administration to succeed in the onerous task of rebuilding the confidence of the people of the state in sports reportage, while reminding the new officials to be more dedicated and more focused.