By Ahmed Idris
For Keen followers of the face off between Bash Ali and the Ministry of sports in the past 15 years, the truth is known that Bash Ali wants his way by all means and anyone not supportive of his proposed fight will be lied against, black mailed and attacked verbally by Bash Alli. The past 4 Ministers of sports including the current one have not been spared.
Bash not only constitutes himself into a public nuisance in the society but his ability to churn out tissues of lies and spread false information around unstopped is worrisome.
Perhaps this time around he will meet his match. The best way to go is through the courts and the current minister has dragged bash to court. He will have to prove all the allegations and lies. The court will decide based on facts not sentiments. Bash needs to be taught a lesson.
Bash Alli for 15 years has failed in getting FG and 5 Ministers to buy into his projects.
Bashiru Alli for a long time has been campaigning for support to organise an oldest boxers fight in Nigeria and said the winner of the fight would enter the Guinness world record as the oldest fighter or Boxer to win a world title.
In all honesty, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development initially staged Local Organising Committee to help raise funds with the assumption that the event would be a private sector driven amongst other things in 2019.
Furthermore, available information showed that they cost of staging the fight was amounted to an estimated sum of 48 Million US Dollars which was over 11 billion in Naira as at then. Moreover, it should be noted that from onset, the Ministry had made it clear that its mandate is to handle amateur boxing and that professional boxing is purely a private affair. Mr. Bash Ali was accordingly advised to approach the Nigeria Boxing Board of control (NBBC) being the body that is mandated to regulate professional boxing in Nigeria.
Additionally, it is necessary to state at this juncture that due to Bash Ali’s attitude of incessant intimidation, harassment and false allegations against the LOC members and or government officials, the funds for the fight could not be raised. Moreso, the position of government at all material time was to provide a platform where funds can be raised through the private sector to support the fight.
Following from the above, particularly on the inability of the LOC to raise the required funds for the fight, Bash Ali resorted to blackmail and harassment of government officials in his zeal to force government to sponsor the said fight. As a result of this development, the Ministry has taken a position from this point going forward not to be involved in any World Guinness Record Fight as proposed by Bash Ali.
All these had led to continuous intimidation and incessant allegations from the Old Boxer from one Minister of Youth and Sports Development to another.
Note that, Bash Alli isn’t a reliable fellow, over the years he had made several allegations against Ministries officials, former and current Honourable Ministers as regards the inability of the Ministry to raise funds for this project.
The current Honourable Minister had never asked Bash Alli for a private meeting, neither has President Buhari ever directed the Ministry to host the fight, and there was never a time when any budgetary provision was made for this project since 2006 when the idea was muted by Mr. Bash Alli.
Finally, and for the avoidance of doubt, let it be known that Mr. Bash Ali, has no case against the Ministry. Moreover, the said fight is professional sports and do not fall under the purview of the Ministry which deals with amateur sports. Although, all the Ministry was trying to do in the past was to assist Bash Ali to stage the Boxing project being a private sector driven project. And that being so, it is bold to state that at no time did the Ministry hold itself out that they would sponsor or finance the project.
