1st July, 2015
World Boxing Federation, WBF, cruiserweight champion, Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali a.k.a Bash Ali has told President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter how corruption stalled his ambition to stage the Guinness Book of World Record Championship in Nigeria.
In the letter dated 26 June, a copy which was made available to PM NEWS Sports, the Edo state-born pugilist told Buhari that if the fight was allowed to hold in the country, Nigeria would have grossed 22 times its investment. “With a small investment of $48 million, Nigeria would earn a $750 million minimum profit from Pay Per View Television (PPVTV) from the United States of America (USA) only not counting PPVTV profits from Europe, North America, Asia and Africa which could amount to over $1 billion and above all Nigeria will become the first country in Africa to host a Guinness World Record (GWR) Boxing Championship Fight.
“But this Nigeria Project was stalled because of corruption and bad administration at the National Sports Commission (NSC) and at Nexim Bank,” Bash Ali said in his letter.
The former wrestler who is presently in the US said that the proposed fight was approved by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo in May 2006. He said Obasanjo set up a Local Organising Committee (LOC) to this effect, noting that, in 2013 with the support of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, another inauguration of a 15-man LOC was set up.
He said NEXIM Bank and Bank of Industry were mandated to fund the fight but corruption in both the NSC and NEXIM Bank ensured that nothing positive happened.
Ali told Buhari that his problems began following his refusal to pay a bribe of $100m from the fight cost which was allegedly demanded by the Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Roberts Orya.
“Because I am a resilient fighter and a true believer in this historic event, I was not deterred. Despite the Federal Government wasting nine years of my life, despite being questioned and beaten by the police on the invitation of the NSC, despite being beaten and injured by the police on the invitation of NEXIM Bank and spending eight days (1-9 September, 2014) on admission in the Trauma Ward, National Hospital, Abuja, despite being detained at Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) cell and later spending 41 days in Kuje Prison from 18 February to 2 April, 2015 with hardened criminals.
“I have spent all my life savings on making this fight a reality in Nigeria, I became homeless, with no money to survive on a daily basis in Abuja and was resigned to sleeping in any available car, all because I said no to corruption and bad administration.
“I am still standing tall and refuse to allow corrupt and visionless government officials at NEXIM Bank and the NSC to kill my mission and vision for a better and a more profitable Nigeria through sports.
Ali, however, wants President Buhari to “immediately take total control of the LOC in order to meet with the International Boxing Union requirements.”
He also wants the president to carefully read the 7 January, 2014 inaugural speech of the then Chairman of NSC, Bolaji Abdullahi during the inauguration of the LOC and ask NEXIM Bank and Bank of Industry why they have refused to comply with the LOC’s term of reference as ordered by the government.
The boxer wants immediate release of N50 million to the LOC as logistics money which NEXIM Bank gave to the NSC, this he said, will enable the LOC to keep working.
He urged the president to meet with all the LOC members to fashion out a positive way to go about a fresh contract signing.
He believes that “this historic fight could be used to celebrate Mr. President’s 100 Days in office.”