29th August, 2018
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), FCT chapter, has passed a vote of no-confidence on the association’s national leadership superintended by Mr. Honour Sirawo.
The decision was taken on Wednesday at FCT SWAN emergency congress following the resignation of its Secretary-General, Mr. Wale Alabi, on Aug. 23.
Alabi, a member of FCT SWAN, is an Assistant Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The vote of no-confidence passed on SWAN national leadership was also necessitated by the purported registration of SWAN at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as an NGO, without the approval of members.
A communiqué issued at the end of the Congress said the registration of SWAN as an NGO was a breach of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and SWAN constitutions.
“Mr. Honour Sirawo, the National President, having failed in his duties to lead SWAN with efficiency and failure to defend the statute under which he was elected, no longer have our confidence.
“We have unanimously decided to pass a vote of no confidence on him and the National Executive Council (NEC) he leads.
“We call on the FCT NUJ and the national secretariat to forthwith withdraw the registration of SWAN with CAC which contravenes the NUJ constitution.
“FCT SWAN decries the organized removal, suspension and forced resignation of elected members of SWAN NEC and their replacement with non-elected protegees of the president,” the communique said.
The congress also frowned at plans to remove the body from the NUJ, noting that SWAN as an affiliate of the NUJ cannot be incorporated as an NGO without the agreement of its members nationwide.
“SWAN is a beat association established under the law that established the NUJ, and it shall remain so,” the communique also said.
The Congress also observed that there was an increase of non-journalists in the SWAN NEC which also contravenes the NUJ constitution.