A Communique issued at the end of Enugu state chapter of Sportswriters Association SWAN monthly congress held at its secretariat inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu, South-East Nigeria.
Preamble:
The Enugu State chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria,(SWAN) held its monthly Congress yesterday at her secretariat located inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe sports stadium Enugu, South-East Nigeria.
The congress presided over by the state chairman, Comrade Norbert Okolie, deliberated on issues concerning sports generally as it affects the coal city-state, and resolved as follows:
1. Renewed its call on the state governor, chief Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to appoint a competent and sports technocrat as the state Commissioner for youth and sports as he prepares for the formation of his second tenure in an office cabinet.
2. It called on the state government to as a matter of urgency carry out an aggressive maintenance of facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium which it took over from the federal government a few years ago, noting that facilities in some segments of the stadium are fast becoming dilapidated.
3. The Communique, also charged the state government to do everything within its powers to reclaim the indoor sports hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium which is currently under the control of the federal ministry of youth and sports, pointing out that Enugu is the only state in the six geo-political zones of the country where the federal government is still in charge of the indoor sports hall of a stadium handed over to a state government.
4. The Congress equally called on the state government to expedite action in commencing the construction of the two sports stadia it promised to put in place in Oji River and Nsukka as captured in the 2019 budget, as such facilities if realised, would go a long way in changing the grass-root sports narratives in the state.
5. Congress congratulated the Enugu club side, Rangers Inter. FC for emerging one of Nigeria’s representatives in the 2019 CAF Confederation championship, and called on the management of the team to integrate members of SWAN in the state in her planning and execution of the continental
engagement, as partners in progress.
6. The Communique, also advised the state government to ensure early release of funds to the state contingents to the 2019 youth game in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, stressing that it would make the state not to fall into the usual fire brigade preparation which has always affected the state adversely since the commencement of the age-grade sports competition.
7. The congress called on the state ministry of youth and sports and organizers of the 2019 edition of the Enugu national half marathon race to carry SWAN in the state as a body along during the competition so as to avoid a repeat of what transpired during the maiden edition in 2018.
Signed:
Communique drafting committee.
Chairman: Nnamdi Mbawuike of Leadership newspaper
Secretary: Ignatius Okpara, African Examiner.
Cletus Obi, of Nation newspapers member.
