Baskadia

By: Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR

With a renew vigour to put an end to series of misconceptions between membership of NUJ and SWAN with erroneous tendency of later being tied to the former, or one trying to have overbearing influence on others, the National President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Comrade Benjamin Isaiah has made it abundantly clear that one can be a member of either of the two Associations without one controlling others.

Comrade Benjamin, who was a two time SWAN Chairman, Kaduna State Chapter stated this while featuring in a popular online weekly interview session tagged Super Interview Co hosted by Ibadan based Sports journalist, Sunday Agunbiade popularly known as Mr VAR and Wale Oye from Lagos on Nigeria leading WhatsApp platform, Sports World on Friday.

Reacting to questions sent in by Akin Akinkunle, CEO APex Media, the Kogi State born erudite Journalist noted that a Sports writer may decide to join NUJ in their meeting or choose to stick with Sports Writers as both stand independent of another. Explaining the previous actions taken by NUJ in Kaduna which holds no grounds in SWAN, the number one sports writer in Nigeria explained that:

"I was once suspended by NUJ as I used to attend their meetings but Ihold no position in NUJ. The reason for my suspension was that the NUJ told us not to participate in election that brought about the second term of my predecessor(Sirawoo). NUJ decided to suspend us from NUJ activities from two years but it was inconsequential as NUJ does not control my organization nor SWAN which I was even the SWANECO Chairman. We told NUJ that their suspension was illegal because they have no such power. Later, I let them realize that the statues was reviewed and SWAN had been de-affiliated from NUJ since 2019 . All the suspension was just withing NUJ not SWAN. Let me state that one can choose to be a member of the two but cannot hold positions in the two Associations please. But, members should know that SWAN is never in conflict with NUJ but a sports writer can decide to stick with SWAN alone. A section of the statue states it clearly that you can choose to be a member of NUJ and SWAN but NUJ has no power to control the activities of SWAN". It's a choice for a sports Writers to practice and associates only with SWAN". The graduate of Ahmadu Bello University poignantly clarified.

"SWAN is an independent entity. Suspension in NUJ has no place in SWAN as NUJ does not control SWAN or my organization. As Sports reporter ,you can decide to choose either of the association but you can not hold positions in the two. Let it be cleared that SWAN is not in conflict with NUJ. Benjamin Isaiah warned