The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Monday in Abuja elected new national executive committee (NEC) members to steer the affairs of the body in the next three years.
The elections saw the emergence of Edo State chairman, Ahmed Aigbona, as president and Mike Oboh a member of the FCT chapter as Secretary-General.
Both Aigbona and Oboh, who was a former Chairman of Kano State Chapter, were elected unopposed, alongside seven others who were also elected unopposed.
The immediate-past Vice-President North West, Ado Salisu emerged Deputy President, while Femi Amusan from Oyo State became Vice-President South West.
Emmanuel Uja from Benue is also the Vice-President, North Central, with Loveday Herbert from Bayelsa as the new Vice-President South South, and Ismaila Mohammed from Jigawa is Vice-President North West.
Ikem Asika from Anambra is Vice-President South East, while Monica Iheajam of The Sun Newspapers in Lagos is the Financial Secretary.
The new officials were immediately sworn in by Barrister Rosemary Hamidu.
.
Speaking after the inauguration, the new president, Ahmed Aigbona, said the association would work towards ensuring a new drive for sports writers to get their proper place in the development of sports in the country.
“The new leadership will carry out this association’s activities in line with the constitution of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the SWAN statutes.
“That is where we are, and we will not trample upon the rights of members.
“We will respect everybody, and give the association a better face,” he said.
Aigbona said the former president of the association, Honour Sirawoo, has been suspended for carrying out acts inimical to the well-being of the body.
There are several measures that we will need to take to instill discipline. But that is the first step,” he said.
The SWAN president further said the association would vigorously pursue interests that would be of larger benefit to its members, just as he pledged to operate an open door policy.
He charged members to be steadfast as they go along with the new thinking of the leadership.
Aigbona then revealed that, as part of new measures to breathe a new lease of life into SWAN, the registration fee for members would now be N1,500 for three years.
He urged all members who feel aggrieved over the events of the recent three years to return to the fold as the newvleadership would want the association to remain as a family.