By Gabriel Kekong
As Sports Writers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja set to elect new leaders who will thinker the affairs of the association in the next three years, the current chairman of the association, Ndubueze Chidoka of Radio Nigeria who is seeking re-election for the chairmanship position said if his opponent wins in the election he will congratulate him in the spirit of sportsmanship.
He also said he expected the same when he wins.
The amiable and humble personified Chairman of the FCT SWAN said; elections are not a do or die affair, therefore, in his camp he said they are seeing it as a call to serve. He added if anybody emerges at the end of the day both parties will join hands to move the association forward.
He acknowledged the fact that in any election there are bound to be disagreement in one way or the other but at the end, it’s the welfare of members that is paramount.
He stated that in the last three years he was given the mandate to lead members, he and his team did everything within their powers to attend to welfare of members as enshrined in the SWAN statute and NUJ constitution, so if giving the opportunity again to lead the association in the next three years, he will consolidate on that.
According to Chidoka, “In the last three years, we worked round the clock for the welfare of our members, especially those who needed special cases. I can tell you that none of our members who were in need that we did not attend to despite the hardship period the nation was into. This is because we understand what leadership is all about.
“You will agree with me, during the last three years nothing absolutely nothing spectacular happened isn the sports sector, coupled with the outbreak of Coronavirus in 2019, but we were able to reached out to our members who were in need and the general house during our usual end-of-year rituals,” he said.
However, the Director General of Chidoka Chidoka’s Team, Mr. Raphael Ekpang (Sports Editor of New National Star has also called on all parties to play to the rules and eschew bickering, saying that FCT SWAN is one and blessed body.
Ekpang noted that leadership is given by God, so those God has chosen to lead the association for the next three years will surely emerge on Friday.
He however enjoined members to vote for Chidoka and his team on Friday, stating that they have got the requisite knowledge, attitude and character to lead the association to its Eldorado,
According to Ekpang, “I hereby present to you men you can entrust the association to and be rest assured they will deliver as you go about your duty of reporting sports in FCT. They are Ndubueze Chidoka (Chairman), Salifu Usman (Vice Chairman), Ikenna Okonkwo (Secretary) Albert Akota (Assistant Secretary), Muyideen (Finacial Secretary), Busayo Olowokere (Welfare) and Ayodeji Makinde (Treasurer).
Meanwhile, the chairman of SWAN electoral committee (SWANECO) Ezeocha Nze has assured members of his committee readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible election on Friday, noting that his members are trusted journalists (Sports Writers) who have paid their prize in the profession. He added that they want the best for the association therefore, he said they are ready to give their best on Friday by conducting an election that will stand the test of time.
