Dapo Sotiminu spoke with the National SWAN president, Honour Sirawo, this morning (Friday, 10th February 2017) on his refusal to sign the nomination form of Nigeria's Sports Writers' pride - Mitchell Obi but was shocked to the marrow when he said with no inhibition 'Mitchell Obi is not a journalist, he has not registered with #SWAN and #NUJ in the last 11 years. He even presented a fake SWAN identification card, and a Lagos NUJ card signed by Funke Fadugba. We are out to sanitize SWAN, he didn't even study journalism. I am sorry I can't and I didn't sign his nomination form to return as #AIPS Africa president.

Later on when he told the AIPS president that #Mitchell is not a registered journalist, he was shocked.

Olu Amadasun also said he endorsed him in error in the first place. Now, Nigeria will make do with positions in the AIPS Commission." As I listened to the SWAN president, I shook my head in awe, and I knew for sure that the ebullient son of Ogoni land definitely didn't know the damage he just did to his country all in the name of politics. The Mitchell #Obi I know is a first class teacher of Sports Writing in Nigeria, an authority who had more than 10 times given public lectures on the ethics of journalism and the rights of Sports Writers in the midst of oppressive newsroom politics where sports journalist are referred to as second class citizens in media houses.

How I wished Honour #Sirawo knew that, the person he just played some dirty politics with is a professor in sports journalism by virtue of his wealth of experience as a first class Sports journalist. It saddens me more when I recalled the SWAN president saying Mitchell is not one of us.

How I wished Sirawo had painstakingly taken a moment out to pay Mitchel a visit in his office, Masters Sports off Toyin Street, in Ikeja to see what qualifies Mitchell as a professor of Sports journalism in Nigeria.

The sight of the wooden hanger which Mitchell hung his over 200 international accreditation tags, which he used in covering the World Cup, World Championships of various sports across the globe, the African Championships of various sports, the Olympic Games, the #Commonwealth Games, #FIFA Congresses, #CAF Congresses, #Wimbledon finals, US Open finals, Australia Open finals, French Open finals, WBC, WBO and IBF controversial world boxing title fights, numerous NBA finals, Uefa Champions League finals, CAF Champions League finals involving and not involving Nigerian clubside, Pan American Games, Euro Nations Cup, European Championships, #CONCACAF Cup finals, Oceania Cup finals, numerous historic English FA Cup finals and various Asian Championships would have taught the SWAN president a real lesson of life, but he was never there to behold a sight that should have encouraged him as a SWAN president at least to aspire to reach a quarter of where Mitchell had gone to cover strictly international sports events.

Today, the NFF president Amaju #Pinnick is a candidate for the CAF Executive Committee election next month without getting the mandatory endorsement and nominations from the #NFF Congress and the Sports Minister. There is always a way out of a self inflicted quagmire.

In my native Yorubaland, there is a saying which goes thus: "If one commercial vehicle refuses to go a lucrative destination, a million and one vehicles will go there unhindered" (Bi oko kan o re Ejirin, egbegberun e a lo).

Mitchell Obi, with or without SWAN president's nomination to return as AIPS Africa president remains Nigeria's number one Sports Journalist per excellence. An attribute that is in-borne is miles away from ability.

Read more: http://www.thewhistle.com.ng/p/1/swan-national-ignore-mitchell-obi-for-aips-africa-presidency

I am 35, I have known Mitchell Obi and Larry Izamoje and Paul Basset as sports journalists since I was 9... Who is Dapo?

D man don smoke weeds wella.

Lalasticlala do you know Mitchell Obi at all? Someone knew him from 9 years here probably you'll have known him from birth.