The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has made a clarion call on the leadership of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), to bring under one umbrella all factions existing within the association and also find a way of working in harmony with the mother union, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Speaking at the NFF Secretariat when he received the new executives of SWAN led by the President, Isaiah Benjamin, the NFF President assured that the country’s football governing body is ready to involve sports journalists in its activities and events in order to forge better relationships and understanding.
“I want to first and foremost, congratulate you on your elections as the new helmsmen at SWAN. I am well and truly aware of the power of the media and football is surely a media event,” Gusau said.
“There is the need for even greater co-operation between the NFF and the media in all that we’re doing. The NFF will seek to involve SWAN even more in all that we are doing and that also informs why we included journalists in some of the committees that we recently announced.”
“However, I want the new leadership of SWAN at the national level to work to eliminate the factions that we currently have in the FCT and some other States and bring everyone under one umbrella. You should also commit to working with the Nigeria Union of Journalists,” he added.
Earlier, SWAN President Isaiah Benjamin lauded the NFF President for inclusion of some journalists in the recently-constituted NFF sub-committees, as well as the governing boards of the Leagues.
“I must express our appreciation for your inclusion of a number of our members in your committees, including the boards of the Leagues,” Benjamin said.
“It is a welcome development and I assure you that those members will perform optimally and professionally, as that is the only way we know how to work. I also want to request for more inclusiveness of our members in your activities, events and programmes.”
“It is better for them to be part of the programmes and witness how they run than gathering them at the end of those programmes to inform them. At that point, they would not be in the best position to report those programmes and events correctly and appropriately,” he added.
Also at the occasion were the Chairman of the Normalisation Committee for Kaduna State Football Association, Sabo Babayaro; NFF Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire; NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David; NFF Head of Marketing, Chuks Alizor; NFF Deputy Director of Competitions; Ayo Abdulrahaman; SWAN National Secretary-General Ikenna Okonkwo and a host of former SWAN executives.
Aside SWAN NEC representation, also present were SWAN former Secretary-General Richard Jideaka, former National Welfare Officer Mike Ndidi, former FCT Vice Chairman and Head of Sports, Voice of Nigeria, Lekan Sowande and sports veterans – Elder Asueliemen Osasuyi (Group Sports Editor Nigerian Pilot Newspapers).
Also in attendance during the visit, Salifu Usman (Sports Editor Leadership Newspapers), Lekan Olaseinde (Sports Editor Blueprint Newspapers).
