Sports
BUNMI Haruna, FCT chapter chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), has called for the body’s inclusion in the board of the National Sports Commission (NSC) being proposed.
Haruna made the call in his presentation at the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Sports public on the bill seeking to establish the NSC and the Federal Sports University, Nkalagu In Ebonyi.
“Those who should have a say in sports should be part of the new NSC. Hence, SWAN as the voice and mirror of sports should be included in the board,” he said.
“The importance of the NSC is such that we cannot afford not to include the body that acts as a bridge between the sportsmen, administrators, the people and invariably the private sector in it.
“Sports is business and SWAN is the vehicle on which it is sold. So, neglecting SWAN in the composition of the NSC is akin to omitting an important part of the commission.”
Haruna also expressed the belief that it was of great importance to smoothen the relationship between the Director-General of the commission and the Minister of Sports.
He noted that this was necessary in order to foster a better working atmosphere between both parties.
“We also observe that the power tussle between the Minister and the Director-General was largely responsible for the scraping of the commission the last time.
“So, there is a great need for a clear demarcation of the duties of these principal officers in the new-look NSC.”
The FCT SWAN Chairman also applauded the initiative of the two bills before by the National Assembly on the establishment of the NSC and a sports university in Ebonyi.
“SWAN thanks the National Assembly for coming up with these bills. This shows in a great deal that we have forward-thinking legislators who are not only interested in moving the country forward but are also ready to create more opportunities for the youths.
“SWAN supports the establishment or a return of the NSC because it is a model that has worked for Nigeria in the past and it is the trend in developed countries where sports is real business.
“In the US, it is called the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), in Australia, it is called Sport Australia, formerly the Australian Sports Commission, being the Australian Government agency responsible for supporting and investing in sports in Australia.
“In Canada, it is called Sports Canada, in South Africa, the South Africa Sports Commission, and in Japan, it is called the Sports Commission of Japan,” he stated.
While responding, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Obinna Ogba, praised SWAN for its fantastic presentation and acknowledged that points raised were genuine and would be considered.(NAN)
– July 8, 2021 @ 08:53 GMT |
Tags: FCT chapter Chairman says SWAN’s inclusion in NSC board is absolute necessity
