From left: Comrade Musa Kutama, Financial Secretary, Comrade Christian Njoku, Vice Chairman, Comrade Tina Todo, Treasurer, Comrade. Comrade Bonny Nyong,, National Deputy President, Comrade Mike Akpang, the new Chairman CRS SWAN , Comrade Essien Ita, Secretary, and Comrade Ekpo James Ofana, Welfare Officer at the Special Congress on Tuesday.
By Ita Williams, Calabar
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Cross River State Chapter, has staged a remarkable comeback following years of leadership crisis and internal wrangling, with the inauguration of a new executive at a well-attended Special Congress in Calabar.
The congress marked a turning point for the association, signaling unity, reconciliation, and a renewed commitment to professionalism among sports journalists in the state.
The special Congress took place on Tuesday at the Media Tribune, U. J. Esuene International Stadium Calabar.
Declaring the congress open, the Chairman of the SWAN Electoral Committee (SWANECO), Comrade Isoni Isoni, described the occasion as a historic milestone.
He traced the origins of SWAN to 1964, when sports journalists across the country resolved to form a unified body.
“SWAN operates under the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), which is our mother body,” he explained, adding that “when it comes to sports journalism, SWAN remains the only body recognised by the Federal Government and the international community for the dissemination of sports information.”
Comrade Isoni highlighted the strategic role of SWAN in grassroots sports development, noting that the association identifies talents at the grassroots and exposes them to national prominence through effective publicity.
According to him, SWAN also explains government sports programmes to local communities and advises governments on sports-related policies.
He acknowledged that Cross River SWAN had faced difficult times in recent years due to internal disputes but expressed optimism about the future.
“Today, we are united again as a body. We have buried our differences and turned a new leaf,” he said.
Members of the CRS Chapter of SWAN posed with the visiting National Deputy President, Comrade Bonny Nyong, shortly after the special Congress.
Veteran members of the association also lent their voices to the renewed unity as a renowned sports journalist, Comrade Charles Eniang, described the congress as the end of a long struggle.
“We are all happy. Today marks the end of the crisis, and we believe this revival will usher in a new and stronger SWAN in Cross River State,” he remarked.
Another veteran, Comrade Anietie Akpan, in his goodwill message, stressed the need for purposeful leadership.
“The ultimate goal is to have an executive that can take SWAN forward, not just in Cross River but across the region,” he said.
He cautioned the new executive to respect their three-year tenure and avoid attempts to perpetuate themselves in office, to the repeat of the past.
Akpan also commended the National Deputy President of SWAN, Comrade Boniface Nyong, for his role in stabilising the chapter.
Representing the Cross River State Council of the NUJ, the Vice Chairman, Comrade Sunny Inah, advised the new leadership to carry all members along.
In his remarks, the National Deputy President of SWAN, Comrade Boniface Nyong, who represented the National President, Comrade Isaiah Benjamin, thanked God for what he described as a “new beginning” for Cross River SWAN.
He noted that crises were inevitable in unionism, particularly among intellectuals, but stressed that leadership is tested by the ability to manage disagreements.
“If you know where you are going, you won’t listen to every distraction,” he said,
Urging members to remain focused, Nyong emphasized transparency as a guiding principle and encouraged veterans to mentor the new executive.
Delivering his inaugural speech, the newly sworn-in Chairman of Cross River SWAN, Comrade Mike Akpang of Canaan FM (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria), expressed gratitude to the national leadership, SWANECO, veterans, and members for restoring confidence in the association.
He pledged to work tirelessly to rebuild SWAN in the state and promised not to disappoint the trust reposed in his team.
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include the Vice Chairman from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondents’ Chapel, Comrade Essien Ita of the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC) as Secretary, Comrade Tina Todo (The Guardian Correspondent) as Treasurer, Comrade Musa Kutama as Financial Secretary, and Comrade Ekpo James Ofana of Canaan FM as Welfare Officer.
