By Daily sports on April 26, 2021

It has been a talk out since the end of the beautifully organised Edo 2020 National Sports Festival that went well as factional national President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Honor Sirawoo and his very controversial Sports Commissioner, Boma Iyaye, have continued creating attention with obvious prejudice putting question mark on the NSF.

I had wanted to play deaf and dumb as the media war between my chapter of SWAN Lagos and Sirawoo over the fractional President’s utterances against the heart beat (Lagos) of sports journalism in the country.

To be honest with you, I had wanted to keep off the media show but it seems the raging fire has refused to abet as the Rivers State Commissioner joined the fray with his woes caused by maladministration.

My anger sticks to high heaven when Boma Iyaye pointed accusing fingers and blamed the performance of his state on people. My reaction to nobody else was who Is Boma Iyaye Speaking for? Is it for the Government, the good people of Rivers State, officials or the athletes? I came to conclusion that he was speaking for himself gimmick to cover up his lapses. Boma Iyaye if you follow him and his activities closely likes crying wolf where there is none. He likes pointing accusing fingers where is obviously his fault. Again he was at it.

He failed to do his homework well, using the huge money the performing Governor Wike administration released for Edo 2020 National Sports Festival preparations for athletes.

He has failed the state again as he did during CAF Confederation Cup against Enyimba where instead he raised his foot soldiers to cause problem here and there in order to cover up.

Instead of opening up to own up his inadequacies he dragged Sirawoo into silly conspiracies.

Little wonder therefore it backfired on their faces. They were not spared. Both got falsehood against sister states for allowing their mouths wide open alleging rubbish and talking on drop of hat too. They got full dose of bashing.. That is the game Boma Iyaye has been a master in.

For benefit of dear readers who missed the exchanges here are some below. Let me make it abundantly clear that for Sirawoo to become this partner with Iyaye leaves sour taste in the mouth. Rivers State government provided enough for her athletes and officials for the NSF and for some to raise accusing fingers on other states that prepared well ahead and better remains incompetence of the highest order Boma Iyaye and Sirowoo ought take full responsibility of their failure instead shifting blame to anybody thereby heating the sporting polity.

Here are Sirawoo/Boma’s unfounded allegations: Sirawoo alleged that technical officials were offered financial inducement to influence results for some states he didn't mention.

Again let it be known that there are two factions of SWAN. The NUJ tried to broker peace but Sirawoo will not agree and instead said he was pulling his faction out of the NUJ. Based on the crisis and the law suit he instituted against the Ahmed Aigbona faction which the NUJ said it recognises, both the Edo State government and the Youth and Sports Development Ministry said it will not deal with either faction in Benin.

Sirawoo tried to address Sports Writers in Benin but he was ignored. And now he issued a communique after meeting with his stooges he described as authentic SWAN members.

As a bad loser, Sirawoo rather than blaming the sports ministry where he serve as the permanent secretary and the government of Rivers state for their poor performance alleged that officials were induced monetarily to sway results.

I was an official in the cycling event and out of the 17 states that participated in cycling, Rivers state placed at the bottom of the log without a single medal.

At the last sports festival in 2018 in Abuja, Rivers topped the cycling medals table. At the festival, Rivers was ahead of its sister state, Bayelsa. And what happened? Unfortunately the state government failed to fulfill its promise of rewarding the athletes that won medals for it. And that saw the exodus of most of the quality athletes to other states including Bayelsa, Delta and Edo.

That was how they lost Dino Ebarakumo and Ifiezebe Gagbe, originally Bayelsans to Bayelsa, Ese Ukpeseraye to her original state, Delta and she won four gold medals in cycling.

Surprisingly they lost their own daughter, Tombrapa Grikpa to Edo which benefitted from her medals haul in cycling too.

It was even learnt that the Rivers government was livid with anger when it learnt that Bayelsa was ahead of the state on the medals table at the Edo 2020 NSF.

Rivers state should search itself to find out where it has gone wrong. Rather than settle down to do their work, the Permanent Secretary and Commissioner of the Sports Ministry are chasing shadows.

Sirawoo, who by his appointment as Perm Sec should stop playing politics of SWAN, is flexing muscles with Aigbona over who is the authentic President of the Association.

Boma Iyaye the Sports Commissioner was busy helping Musa Kida to destabilise the Nigeria Basketball Federation. He once pulled out the Rivers state basketball team, Rivers Hoopers from the Kwese Basketball Premier League when they qualified for the Final four (4) tournaments in Kano which they were well positioned to win and pocket the first prize of N20m. The players grumbled but they had no choice to quit because they didn't want to be thrown into the labour market.

These are the men who are running Rivers State Sports. Any wonder why their athletes are running away to other states and the state is declining in sports despite the deep interest and love the Governor Wike government has shown on sports generally in the State aimed at ensuring that they are developed through sports. But sadly the so called political sports administrators are busy sabotaging the efforts if you like and at the same time raising heavy dust. That brings this obvious question Who is fooling Who? My candid advise is that Gov Wike who obviously has done excellently well in governance should call his Permanent Secretary, Honour Sirawoo and Boma Iyaye to order.

This is the right time to bring Boma Iyaye and Honour Sirawoo to their knees before ignorance cover up their maladministration emasculate. This is what happens when you fail to plan ahead and when failure comes, those that ought to do the needful start this kind of cover up game implored by Boma and Honour.

ENYIMBA INT’L FC THE LAST CHANCE

Obviously, the hen is home to roost. Their last CAF Confederation Cup group match against Orlando Pirates of South Africa will no doubt be a do or die affair for reasons. It will serve as make or break game for the Aba team. Enyimba would also see the last game as now or never match and therefore will bring all within them gamely to survive and ensure quarter final bath after the encounter which the Sothern African country would come full blooded.

Truth is that the four teams in the group have a chance of going into the next stage of the continental championship if any team sleeps off. Enyimba played themselves into this difficulty for losing against the Libyan team the other day. Away games have been the ant hills of the former African champs and turning back the crack Pirates will give them the breather. Let wish the Aba Elephants well as we pray they put everything into the match and come out tops and also pick one of the slots from their group. It would not be easy for both teams as the hope of advancing depends sole on this game.

Let’s discuss our topics this week on our social media. Keep Shooting hard till next week as the Struggle Continues!!

Source Daily sports

Posted April 26, 2021

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