03/09/2025
Delta Speaker Vows To Always Support SWAN, Collects Membership Card
*Receives Award of Excellence
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, has assured that he would always be willing to support the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
He gave the assurance, when the SWAN President, Isaiah Kemje Benjamin led national executive of the association to present a membership card of the association to the Speaker at his office, within the premises of the Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba on Tuesday September 2, 2025.
"I'll close the ranks with you, I'll continue to give my support and for the wishes, you know I always pray to grow higher from where I am and I know that God is the one
that gives power he's the only one that elevates people if he says that this is the direction I'm
going, I'll say thank you God and I want to say that thank you Mr President for the wishes
and I know that God will grant some of your wishes God," he said.
The Speaker who was excited about the associate membership card presented to him, explained that he is a lover of sports, and the legislative arm of the Delta State Government is vibrant in participating in sporting activities.
"When I was making that statement that I am already a member of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, last year, I was just only joking.
I never knew that it would be this serious that you would one day come and adopt me as your member. I'm so proud that I am
honored in this way and also giving me an award of excellence, I must say that I'm grateful I'm so so grateful and I will not take these for granted.
"I am a sports person myself, I encourage my colleagues to be involved in sporting activities. For the past two years, we've been engaging ourselves in football activities and all of that.
"Unfortunately this year, we lost
to the executive arm so as a sports writer associate member of the sports writers association, let me assure you that i'll continue to work closely with all of you," he said.
The Delta Speaker added, "I want to say that I am so, so elated for this August visit in the month of September. I must say that I am grateful, indeed, very, very grateful.
I want to thank you for thanking me for that which I have done last year by attending your national convention here in Asaba.
"I never did it with the intention of you coming back to thank me.
I did it out of free will, out of my free volition, thinking that I'm just helping in one way or the other.
So I'm so grateful.
"I'm so grateful that you came back, just like one of those ten lepers.
The book of Luke that came to thank the Lord Jesus.
I want to thank you for coming to thank me.
"And for the honour done me, I am so, so grateful," he said.
Speaking earlier, SWAN President commended the Speaker for his support to sports in the state and by extension Nigeria
He said that with the support of all stakeholders, Delta State remains the number one sports sub national not only in Nigeria, but on the continent.
"Let me begin by sincerely thanking the Speaker for accepting to receive us, this we are not taking for granted and we are here basically for three things
because of want of time I'll try to cut my speech very short so that we don't keep the Speaker longer than necessary.
"First and foremost, we are here to
thank the Honourable Speaker for taking his time last year when we came for similar function as this to attend our national convention.
"Normally when we attend any festival be it National Sports Festival or Youth Games, we hold national convention where we take an assessment of activities that played out during the games of the festival, make recommendation to policymakers to see how it gets better and Mr.
Speaker graciously you attended that national convention and
did us a lot of honour by making presentations of award to distinguished personalities and this we are not taking for granted.
"Mr. Speaker, we are thankful for that honour that you did to us last year we didn't just come to do just thank you, you know last time you
told us that you are our member how we applauded it and we agreed today we officially need to make you an associate member we're going to present you
our ID card as an associate member of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria and this will be renewable every year by the special grace of God.
"Aside that, we're also going to honour you like I said, honour should be given to whom
honour is due. We have found you worthy of receiving the honour from the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria and that is one singular thing we are also
going to do again today to tell Mr. Speaker you are doing well, continue the good job and SWAN's award is not just given for giving sake, we take time to assess the awardee to be sure that he or she really merits such award and by His
grace, we can confirm beyond his name with our support that you merit the award that will be presented to you today," he said.
SWAN President stressed, " Like I said Mr Speaker, thank you for the job you are doing and this is an award of excellence that is going to be presented on behalf of
the entire Sports Writers Association of Nigeria".
