Ebonyi SWAN Crisis: National President Intervene, Appoints New Interim Committee
By Joyce Aroh Abakaliki
Following unpleasant reports emanating from Ebonyi state chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN, its National President, Sir Honor Sirawo has waded into the crisis rocking the Ebonyi State chapter by sacking the Interim Committee headed by Mr Ajah Okike.
According to the letter, Mr Sirawo also announced the suspension of elections into the executive committee of the Ebonyi state chapter.
The National President further appointed a new Caretaker Committee to be headed by Mr Emmanuel Nnaji of Blaze FM.
Other members of the Committee are:. Egbo Grace Udodịmma of Tribune Newspaper (Secretary), Kelechi Okoro (Member) while the Zonal Secretary of the Association, Ijeoma Nwante of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) will serve as Advisor to the committee.
Mr Sirawo said the Committee is to ensure peace and development of the Association in the state.
He also charged them to conduct a peaceful and orderly election into the state Executive Committee.
The National President, according to the letter said the committee will manage the affairs of the State chapter for the next three months.
“While we wish that every Bona Fide member of the Association will accord the Caretaker Committee the maximum cooperation, we direct that henceforth the committee be in charge of the Affairs of the chapter for the next three months in line with Article 22(G) of SWAN statue”, he said.
However, he said that the committee was sacked over alleged plot to impose an unpopular candidate as State Chairman of the Association.
“The committee had also failed to conduct the election on two different occasions despite warnings and extensions given to it by the National Executive.
“Crisis had rocked the state chapter for over two years now as members revolted against the erstwhile Chairman of the Association, Mr Opara whose tenure elapsed last year”.
In a reaction, Mr Ajah denied working to install any candidate even as he described his committee’s dissolution as disgusting and unfortunate.
“What is happening in Ebonyi SWAN is rather unfortunate and really disgusting. It’s quite unfortunate”.
“However, I wish to state clearly that I,Aja Okike have no hand in it nor was I consulted by anybody before the new Caretaker was formed. This memo was sent to me by Swan Admin Secretary Habila Ibrahim”.
“I have done my best to ensure peace, unity & progress in SWAN,but some people are bent on dragging my name to the mud. It’s rather embarrassing to me that the National body that prevailed on me to help restore sanity to the Association(and has not found me wanting) should just dissolve my Committee and form a new without recourse to me”, Okike said