By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
In a bid to have more and better coverage of sporting activities in Benue, the state Commissioner for Youths Sports and Creativity, Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange has stepped in to resolve the crises which divided the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, in the state for nearly five years.
The Commissioner had stopped the furtherance of crises in the Benue SWAN in May when he suspended elections been planned by the factions, requesting to have audience aimed at a possible reconciliation with them on a future date.
Hon. Ikyange who presided in the reconciliatory meeting with members of the Mr. John Shiaondo and Mr. Akpera Nase led factions in the conference room of the Ministry of Youths, Sports and Creativity in Makurdi on Tuesday, decried the long existence of the crises which has impacted negatively on sports reportage in the state.
The crises which was occasioned by the suspension of Mr. Akpera Nase and two others from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Benue state council, on the orders of NUJ’s national Secretariat for their attendance of a factional conference of national SWAN held in Port Harcourt in 2019, has lingered for five years now.
In calling for a truce, the Commissioner appealed to both sides to sheath their swords, allow peace a chance and work in harmony for the development of sports in the state.
In a communique witnessed by Hon. Ikyange, the two factions agreed that, the leadership of each faction stand desolved, the setting up of a three man election committee to be constituted, that all sports writers willing to participate be allowed in line with the dictates of the Constitution, and elections for a new state executive committee to be held in the next one month.
Members of the two factions all agreed with the terms of the agreement and pledged to ensure its workability for the good of SWAN in the state particularly, and NUJ in general.
Electoral committee members were nominated from both factions to conduct the elections in one month time. They includes Mr. Terkura Atom, Chairman, Mr. Uche Nnorom and Mr. Babs Usigbe with a representative of the commissioner as an observer.
