Bash Ali’s Record Bout: Jonathan Must Hear This
To say the cruiserweight boxing champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, popularly known as Bash Ali in the sporting world, is a fulfilled man, one will not be farther from the truth. Instead of being in the comfort of his home and enjoy the fruits of his past labour, he has chosen to set a new record as a oldest boxer in the famous Guinness World Record book.
Realising his dream of promoting Nigeria’s image with economic benefits has not been easy since 2006, hence he decided to openly write President Goodluck Jonathan perhaps after assurances from the President on different occasions over his much-touted Guinness World Record Fight, which requires government’s endorsement to secure investors’ or promoters’ confidence, have not yielded any fruit. But the question on one hand is whether the project is worthwhile? If yes, why is the government not forthcoming? And then on the other hand, if the project is not worth it, why is the federal government through the National Sports Commission (NCS) and other government agencies deceiving the boxer by giving the impression that they will key into the project and renege afterwards.
In the said letter dated October 18, 2014, which has been published by some national dailies, the anger and frustration of the boxer were conspicuous from the beginning to the end of the 13-paragraph mail. Moreover, not a few are of the opinion that the president has no business with Bash Ali’s boxing project, which is the subject of this brouhaha for some years now even before Jonathan assumed the mantle of leadership.
According to the boxer, the federal government through the NSC on November 9, 2006, inaugurated a Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Bash Ali Boxing Project “to galvanise all sources of funding to host the first ever GUINNESS WORLD RECORD (GWR) FIGHT” on the soil of Arica nay Nigeria. He added that few weeks later precisely on December 21, 2006, because of his contribution to sports promotion and development in country, the government honoured him with “the highest National Honour ever given to a Nigerian athlete”, Officer of the Order of Niger (OON).
“The FGN gave me the award with the instruction not to rest on my oars but to do more for my Fatherland so that my honour can be upgraded but in the process to obey the order to do more for my Fatherland, it has become an unpardonable crime because I refused to bow to the demands of the bad and corrupt government officials I met along the way to make my dream a reality for a better Nigeria through sport,” Ali wrote.
About six years later in 2012, the boxer said he met Jonathan for the first time and told him that most of the people around him are bad and do not want his (Jonathan’s) success, adding that they were doing everything possible to frustrate great things from coming to Nigeria.
He said he seized the occasion of their meeting to inform Jonathan about the 2006 inauguration of the LOC by the then government.
He told the President that for $30million, Nigeria would become the first country on the continent of Africa to host a Guinness Record fight. That the historic event would be watched live on Pay Per View (PPV) television around the world by an estimated audience of between 10million to 12million viewers at the rate of $50 per viewer for a minimum of $500m PPV TV profit.
“That part of the PPV TV profit would be used to build five Sports Academies with Olympic size swimming pools across Nigeria at the rate of $20m USD each and a $20m USD Sports Equipment Manufacturing Factory in Nigeria. That these establishments would help to groom Nigerian athletes and create employment for thousands of Nigerians but that the LOC is being frustrated because I refused to bow to the demands of the bad and corrupt government officials and that I will die and go to hell before I allow them to kill my dream,” he said.
He went on to say that he presented a GWR fight T-shirt, a cap and his world championship belt to Jonathan to admire including a symbolic boxing glove to “knock out the bad and corrupt people” in his government, who do not want their principal’s success.
“You accepted the souvenirs and you told me that you agree that I should not allow anybody to drive me away from contributing to a better Nigeria. I later had a private meeting with you, your vice president and the former chief of staff where you once again promised that this historic GWR fight will hold in Nigeria and that you will setup a LOC with private and public sector to fund it.
“Sir, after the meeting with you I was successful in making more enemies for myself because I had the guts to tell you that most of the people around you are bad and corrupt and for this I am paying dearly that right now my life is on the line. The bad and corrupt people at the NSC and at the Presidency made sure that they tripled my frustration to bring honour, glory, pride and clean money to Nigeria and above all blocked all my ways and letters to you,” he added.
The pathetic story of Ali went on as it was after several months during which he went through “hell” before the sports minister finally agreed to do what the President earlier instructed him to do. Consequently, on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, the federal government through the NSC under the immediate past minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, inaugurated another 17-man LOC for Bash Ali Boxing Project comprising representatives of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), office of the chief of staff to the President, representatives from NEXIM Bank and Bank of Industry (BoI).
“I am tasking you with the enormous responsibility of ensuring the success of the project. I expect you to immediately get to work and complete your assignment within the first quarter of this year,’’ Abdullahi reportedly said while inaugurating the LOC then.
Nine months after the said inauguration and several other meetings with some key officials of NEXIM Bank being the coordinating bank and Bank of Industry, Ali allegedly said there is nothing to show and report back to Mr. President because “a bad and corrupt official at the NEXIM Bank is demanding a $10m USD cut from the $30m USD fight purse and a $100m USD cut from the PPV TV profit” in order to make people he has offended happy having stepped on their toes by accusing them of being corrupt.
He revealed that since the inauguration of the LOC till date, it is indebted to the tune of over N50million in logistics and if by 5:01pm New York Time of October 31, 2014, Nigeria does not pay the approval fee of $1million to the International Boxing Union (IBU), the country would lose the hosting rights of the historic event including the PPV TV mouth-watering profit to Germany.
Another incredible angle is that Ali said the global body, IBU, has since offered him 15million Euros to fight in Germany but he rejected the offer which the President is aware of. It is time the President or the Presidency say something on Bash Ali boxing project in order to put the controversy to rest once and for all. The boxer said Jonathan has been served the open letter by his emissaries since last Monday and duly acknowledged by the president’s chief of staff.
Realising his dream of promoting Nigeria’s image with economic benefits has not been easy since 2006, hence he decided to openly write President Goodluck Jonathan perhaps after assurances from the President on different occasions over his much-touted Guinness World Record Fight, which requires government’s endorsement to secure investors’ or promoters’ confidence, have not yielded any fruit. But the question on one hand is whether the project is worthwhile? If yes, why is the government not forthcoming? And then on the other hand, if the project is not worth it, why is the federal government through the National Sports Commission (NCS) and other government agencies deceiving the boxer by giving the impression that they will key into the project and renege afterwards.
In the said letter dated October 18, 2014, which has been published by some national dailies, the anger and frustration of the boxer were conspicuous from the beginning to the end of the 13-paragraph mail. Moreover, not a few are of the opinion that the president has no business with Bash Ali’s boxing project, which is the subject of this brouhaha for some years now even before Jonathan assumed the mantle of leadership.
According to the boxer, the federal government through the NSC on November 9, 2006, inaugurated a Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Bash Ali Boxing Project “to galvanise all sources of funding to host the first ever GUINNESS WORLD RECORD (GWR) FIGHT” on the soil of Arica nay Nigeria. He added that few weeks later precisely on December 21, 2006, because of his contribution to sports promotion and development in country, the government honoured him with “the highest National Honour ever given to a Nigerian athlete”, Officer of the Order of Niger (OON).
“The FGN gave me the award with the instruction not to rest on my oars but to do more for my Fatherland so that my honour can be upgraded but in the process to obey the order to do more for my Fatherland, it has become an unpardonable crime because I refused to bow to the demands of the bad and corrupt government officials I met along the way to make my dream a reality for a better Nigeria through sport,” Ali wrote.
About six years later in 2012, the boxer said he met Jonathan for the first time and told him that most of the people around him are bad and do not want his (Jonathan’s) success, adding that they were doing everything possible to frustrate great things from coming to Nigeria.
He said he seized the occasion of their meeting to inform Jonathan about the 2006 inauguration of the LOC by the then government.
He told the President that for $30million, Nigeria would become the first country on the continent of Africa to host a Guinness Record fight. That the historic event would be watched live on Pay Per View (PPV) television around the world by an estimated audience of between 10million to 12million viewers at the rate of $50 per viewer for a minimum of $500m PPV TV profit.
“That part of the PPV TV profit would be used to build five Sports Academies with Olympic size swimming pools across Nigeria at the rate of $20m USD each and a $20m USD Sports Equipment Manufacturing Factory in Nigeria. That these establishments would help to groom Nigerian athletes and create employment for thousands of Nigerians but that the LOC is being frustrated because I refused to bow to the demands of the bad and corrupt government officials and that I will die and go to hell before I allow them to kill my dream,” he said.
He went on to say that he presented a GWR fight T-shirt, a cap and his world championship belt to Jonathan to admire including a symbolic boxing glove to “knock out the bad and corrupt people” in his government, who do not want their principal’s success.
“You accepted the souvenirs and you told me that you agree that I should not allow anybody to drive me away from contributing to a better Nigeria. I later had a private meeting with you, your vice president and the former chief of staff where you once again promised that this historic GWR fight will hold in Nigeria and that you will setup a LOC with private and public sector to fund it.
“Sir, after the meeting with you I was successful in making more enemies for myself because I had the guts to tell you that most of the people around you are bad and corrupt and for this I am paying dearly that right now my life is on the line. The bad and corrupt people at the NSC and at the Presidency made sure that they tripled my frustration to bring honour, glory, pride and clean money to Nigeria and above all blocked all my ways and letters to you,” he added.
The pathetic story of Ali went on as it was after several months during which he went through “hell” before the sports minister finally agreed to do what the President earlier instructed him to do. Consequently, on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, the federal government through the NSC under the immediate past minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, inaugurated another 17-man LOC for Bash Ali Boxing Project comprising representatives of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), office of the chief of staff to the President, representatives from NEXIM Bank and Bank of Industry (BoI).
“I am tasking you with the enormous responsibility of ensuring the success of the project. I expect you to immediately get to work and complete your assignment within the first quarter of this year,’’ Abdullahi reportedly said while inaugurating the LOC then.
Nine months after the said inauguration and several other meetings with some key officials of NEXIM Bank being the coordinating bank and Bank of Industry, Ali allegedly said there is nothing to show and report back to Mr. President because “a bad and corrupt official at the NEXIM Bank is demanding a $10m USD cut from the $30m USD fight purse and a $100m USD cut from the PPV TV profit” in order to make people he has offended happy having stepped on their toes by accusing them of being corrupt.
He revealed that since the inauguration of the LOC till date, it is indebted to the tune of over N50million in logistics and if by 5:01pm New York Time of October 31, 2014, Nigeria does not pay the approval fee of $1million to the International Boxing Union (IBU), the country would lose the hosting rights of the historic event including the PPV TV mouth-watering profit to Germany.
Another incredible angle is that Ali said the global body, IBU, has since offered him 15million Euros to fight in Germany but he rejected the offer which the President is aware of. It is time the President or the Presidency say something on Bash Ali boxing project in order to put the controversy to rest once and for all. The boxer said Jonathan has been served the open letter by his emissaries since last Monday and duly acknowledged by the president’s chief of staff.
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