…Sounds a note of warning to the two factions in SWAN
By Adeyemi Robinson-Adefioye, Lagos
The founding President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN), Pa Joseph Adebayo Thompson fondly called JayTee , says SWAN was formed with the aim of bringing all sports writers in the country under one umbrella.
PaThompson, a former vice chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos council NUJ, in an exclusive interview with www. sunrisetimes. com. ng said that creating SWAN under NUJ in 1964 was to create a platform to coordinate and promote sports activities in Nigeria.
“I led a group of some sports writers in the country to found Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN in 1964 which some people assumed it is impossible to form such Association then, we had our maiden election and I emerged the winner and I spent 8 years as SWAN President before I bowed out honourably.
“Some people assumed that generally sports cannot fixed on the newspaper industry or be an industry on its own because it has not attained the level whereby it can own its own association. Forming the Association was to differentiate the real sports journalists from the fake ones. “
The 99 years old veteran journalist and former Secretary General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, NBB of C, warned that having two factions of Sports Writers Association was a huge sin and a slap to him while he is still alive.
The grade 2 referee and board member of the Nigeria Referees Association urged Mr Honour Sirawoo and Ahmed Aigbonna factions to put aside their ego and resolve their problem because SWAN was founded in unity and love.
“The issue of division in any Association is due to selfish interests. I still remembered I decorated late MKO Abiola as the Pillar of Sports under the Leadership of Fan Ndubuoke in 1992, after that, some sports writers leaders consulted me for advice but now I hardly hear about SWAN except I read about SWAN on newspapers.
According to Pa Thompson,”I want to implore Mr Honour Sirawoo and Mr Ahmed Aigbonna to come together and allow peace to reign. They should sheath their swords and desist from anything that would bring division to SWAN.
“I am still alive and I do not want to see any division in SWAN in my life time, some of the SWAN’s leaders nów and exco were not born when the body was founded in1964 but as a father to his children I want the two factions to come together and be a Body” said former Morning Post Editor.
Pa Thompson therefore urged SWAN to embrace peace and wake-up from her slumber and restored the dignity of the profession
