The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Bauchi State, has begged Gov. Bala Mohammed to appoint competent sports administrators to manage sports activities in the state.
This was contained in a press statement made available to sports journalists in Bauchi and signed by the Chairman of SWAN, Mahmood Yakubu Mohammed, where he said this would help to save the sports sector in the state from total collapse.
“This is necessary in view of the dismal performance of the state teams and athletes in almost all the sports activities they participated in in the last four years, in spite of the huge investment by government,” he said.
The Bauchi State SWAN chapter chairman pointed out that as stakeholders in sports, the state SWAN chapter had been monitoring the performances of all government appointees in the state’s sports sector.
“Based on the outcome of events and the position Bauchi State occupies on the nation’s sports map, the change must occur in all arms of the state Sports Ministry,” he added.
“So, it must be those that know their onions and have an open mind towards working with all stakeholders in repositioning the sector,” he said.
The chairman stated that sports, as a sector with the potential of providing employment opportunities to multitude of youths in the state, must be properly managed.
“Appointing technocrats to handle the sports sector will help the government to expand and actualise its economic empowerment programme and equally return the state to its position of eminence in sports,” he assured.
The state-owned Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi performed woefully and got relegated from the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) due to bad, selfish and inexperience management.
“We must return to our rightful position and maintain our name as Mecca of spots in Nigeria, but only if the government is willing”, he concluded.
