Swimming body wants Odili's 'paddle'

If there is any national sports association, with its members still sulking and gnashing their teeth over what they feel life would be after the exit of their former Presidents, it is the Nigeria Swimming Federation. (NSF) Judging from the responses of Dans Adokiye, the new Secretary-General of the federation, as reflected by his mood during a chat with nigeriasports.com, there is no gain-saying that, staffs of the body could get drowned even by the stagnant water, that is today's National Stadium swimming pool in Lagos, since the exit of their President.

According to Adokiye, who was the scribe of the Nigeria Table-Tennis Federation, until recently, ''the feeling here, is low. Our fears are boardered on the stepping aside of the former President, Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State.'' Adokiye stressed; ''he stepped down as President, and his Sports Commissioner stepped into his shoes...but would the Governor still stretch his hands of fellowship to his 'chosen successor' so that he could have a smooth sail in the boat the Governor built as President?"

Adokiye may have been in the table-tennis knock-up hall for some ages, but he sounded as one, whose eyes had been on and, ears on to the ground on the happenings in the swimming body. For teasers he reeled: ''The Governor is and I know, an achiever, who brought swimming from nothing, to something in the country. He single-handedly funded almost all swimming competitions throughout his tenure as President.

''Added to these, His Excellency also had a 'paddle' to lend the federation in all its international championships and other engagements during his time. We do not feel that, this is the right time for the Governor to call it quits with the federation, which he has spent so much time and money to build. ''Now, he has handed-over the baton to his Commissioner, but the question that is bugging our minds is; would he give him the required tools, with which to swim and remain afloat? Our prayer is that, the Governor gives his 'stand-in man' the Walking Stick' with which to walk steadily and firmly too,'' he appealed.

And as a parting shot, Adokiye, who hails from Okrika, Rivers State, had this to tell nigeriasports.com: "Help to tell the Governor that, he should not look away from us in the federation; help tell him that, he should forgive us our sins; and tell His Excellency too, that in whatever way the federation had offended him, he should be magnanimous to forgive us our trespasses.''