From Dianabasi Effiong A private sector operator in Calabar, Cross River have called for a legislation by the Federal Government to encourage...
The election which was supervised by the SWAN Vice President, East, Jasper Okoro saw the election of Albert Andinam as Chairman, Mike Abang, Vice Chairman, Odey Alenyor, Secretary and Essien Ekpe Ita as Assistant Secretary, Isaac Aqua, Treasurer while the election of Ike Uche as Financial Secretary was pending since he was unavoidably absent.
From Dianabasi Effiong
A private sector operator in Calabar, Cross River have called for a legislation by the Federal Government to encourage tax waivers and enhance private-sector development of sports in Nigeria.
Such encouragement they said could come in form of certain percentage of tax waivers and so doing, many private companies will move in to promote sports and take the youths off the streets, migrating illegally abroad risking their lives on the ocean and others.
Speaking immediately after the inauguration of a new executive of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Cross River state at the weekend, the General Manager of Royal Farms and Estates Limited, Bishop Usen Umoh said, “if you watch recent developments in the world on child trafficking and the slavery story as exposed by the CNN recently, you will discover that lots of Nigerian youths are there and the guy that even spoke is a Nigerian”.
Umoh who is a table tennis enthusiast, said, “we are looking at SWAN as a body that report sports but should get the government to do an enabling legislation in liaison with all the private stake holders that will encourage private participation in sports. If private sectors participate in sports effectively, this will ensure that the youths are properly taken care of before they can even think of going outside to do one thing or the order that will embarrass the country”.
He noted: “If this legislation is made and the private sector is encouraged in terms of tax waivers of certain percentage, every private sector in that legislation will know their duty when it comes to youth empowerment and probably sports development. We want this to be drummed up in view of what we see happening with our youths in Libya and other parts of the world. We are saying that if government could put things like waivers for private sectors to benefit, private companies will come in.
“As we speak now there is nothing the government has as in legislation that encourages sports development in the country. Sports are largely in Nigeria being run by the government.
“So members of the State, National Assemblies and all of the people in sports committee should be involved. For the sports writers, it is their duty to put things in the media everyday until they are forced to do something.”
While congratulating the new Chairman Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Cross River Chapter and Sports Editor of Cross River Newspaper Corporation, Publishers of the Nigerian Chronicle, Albert Andinam and his new executives, Umoh whose company had earlier in the year sponsored table Tennis and Taekwondo competition in the state and is ready to do more, urged all SWAN members to go above the normal writing of sports stories but do things that will bring sports development.
“When you develop sporting infrastructure, young people that are idle will be engaged and before you know what is happening, they are state and national champions and some will even travel out as professionals to better their lives,” he said.
Earlier, SWAN National President, Honour Sirawoo, who was represented by Mr. Gabriel Nwantanya, urged the new exco to live up to the expectations of members by carrying members along and assured them of total cooperation at all times.
The election which was supervised by the SWAN Vice President, East, Jasper Okoro saw the election of Albert Andinam as Chairman, Mike Abang, Vice Chairman, Odey Alenyor, Secretary and Essien Ekpe Ita as Assistant Secretary, Isaac Aqua, Treasurer while the election of Ike Uche as Financial Secretary was pending since he was unavoidably absent.
admin
