Letter To The Sport Ministry: Bash Ali Rubbishes Sunday Dare; Says He’s The Most Corrupt,Confused, Irresponsible Minister Nigeria Ever Had ~ PressTv
“SPORT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST INDUSTRIES IN THE WORLD AND IF WELL ORGANIZED IN NIGERIA, WILL EARN BIG TIME MONEY FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND HELP TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT’’
RE: GUINNESS WORLD RECORD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT VERSUS IMPUNITY, CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA.
THE SABOTAGE OF NIGERIA’S ECONOMY.
Your Ministry is supposed to be at par with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in generating income for the Federal Government (FG) but, you prefer going to the FG with cap in hand to beg for money. You should from Professional Sport be able to generate $100M minimum per year for the FG. I gave you the blueprint to think outside of the box so your Ministry can be more effective and self-sufficient but because of CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION the blueprint is collecting dust. Up Sunday! Up Nigeria!!
I am the ONLY Boxer in the world to win a World Boxing Championship fight without first boxing as an amateur. I am the ONLY Boxer in the world to win every Cruiser-weight Championship conceivable: California, United States Boxing Association (USBA), North America Boxing Federation (NABF), World Boxing Council International (Twice) and the current World Boxing Federation (WBF) Champion. I am the ONLY Boxer in the world to have total control of a World Boxing Body, the WBF, to satisfy a California
Superior Court Judgment which in 2003 was worth $9.7M and as at January 2021 was worth over $50M. (Google Bash Ali World Boxing Federation California Superior Court Judgment for additional information). In recognition of my Sport promotions and financial contributions towards Sport development, the FG bestowed on me the highest National Honor on a Nigerian athlete, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). I am the no 1 and the most qualified boxer to earn a place in the Guinness World Record as THE OLDEST BOXER to fight for a world Championship. The no 2 is Evander Holyfield, USA, no 3 is Mike Tyson, USA, and no 4 is Roy Jones Jr, USA. Simply put, I am the BEST BOXER in the World but unfortunately, I am a Nigerian boxer in Nigeria.
Sir, while the American Boxers who are not as qualified and as intelligent as me are celebrated like Gods in America, here in Nigeria, a HERO like me is relegated to the back burner while CRIMINALS are celebrated because of CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION. What a country!! What a shame!!!
Sir, a Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight has never held outside of America so mine will be the FIRST and on the soil of Africa, Nigeria to be precise. This historic Fight will feature the Who is Who in Boxing and will be the most LUCRATIVE in the history of Pay Per View Television (PPVTV) Revenue. It is expected to be watched LIVE on PPVTV in 132 countries apart from PPVTV Revenue in Africa, advertisement, sponsorship and sales of the Fight souvenirs etc. Five Sport Academies with Olympic Size Swimming Pool and a Sport Equipment Manufacturing Factory will be built across Nigeria at the cost of US20M each. One Hundred and Thirty Two Countries will be in Nigeria to be part of boxing history. The FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports has written to guarantee their safety.
To make this historic fight a reality in Nigeria, the FG has twice inaugurated the above Local Organizing Committee (LOC), two memos: FMSSD/ASS/NAT/NABA dated March 21, 2007 and NSC/GRSD/BABP/CON/72 dated August 12, 2015 were written to the FG and N100M each were released by the Private Sector as take-off Grants to the LOC through the Ministry of Youth & Sports but the LOC did not get a KOBO because I say NO to CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION.
Sir, on May 29, 2015, I was the happiest Nigerian when our no nonsense ZERO tolerance for corruption President Muhammadu Buhari resumed office because I was sure that CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION will be KNOCKED OUT but you proved me wrong.
Sir, It is instructive to inform you that the FIRST Project President Buhari approved in office is the above Project vide memo SH/COS/22/A/627 dated July 21, 2015 (less than 2 months in office) and memo NSC/GRSD/BABP/CON/72 dated August 12, 2015.
On June 17, 2016, a letter was written by the International Boxing Union (IBU) to President Buhari and the above LOC requesting for the IBU Sanctioning fee and a Letter guaranteeing the safety in Nigeria of the 132 member countries. The IBU DEADLINE was 5pm New York time FRIDAY July 15, 2016. I was also offered 40M Euros plus twenty percent of Pay Per View revenues from the promoters in Germany to fight outside of Nigeria if Nigeria does not meet the DEADLINE.
On July 15, 2016, the day of the DEADLINE, the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports replied vide memo; HMY&SD/001/2016/153 dated July 15, 2016. In paragraph 2, the Ministry guaranteed their safety and in Paragraph 3 it says; “With regards to the IBU Sanctioning fee of USD1 Million you requested I am to reassure you that the event is private sector-driven and the organizers are already sourcing for the funds in a domiciliary account at the Central Bank of Nigeria to facilitate payment. The Ministry of Youth & Sports will follow up to ensure timely payment.” Paragraph 3 says; “While looking forward to the hitch-free staging of the historic fight in Nigeria, please accept the assurances of the Honourable Minister’s esteemed regards and a warm welcome in Nigeria.”
On May 6, 2019, the FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports vide letters NSC/GRSD/BABP/CON/89-114 once again invited the Financial Institutions and Private Sector with the Office of the Chief of Staff to President Buhari as members of the LOC in order to have easy access to Mr President. The Director of Grassroots Sports, Dr Ademola Are as the secretary.
On May 21, 2019, the FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports once again inaugurated the above LOC making it the third inauguration. This should also be in the Guinness World Records Book as the most inaugurated LOC in the world. Paragraph 2 of the Speech says; “The quest by Champion Bash Ali to have this historic fight in Nigeria despite juicy offers to have it outside Nigeria, undoubtedly, springs from the depth of patriotism, zeal and positive outlooks which are the hallmark of a World Champion. The Multiple effects of successfully hosting such an epoch-making fight are numerous. Aside the direct benefit to him as the fighter, it will also bring honour and glory to Nigeria as well as financial growth.” Paragraph 6 says; “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, while I reiterate the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure the atmosphere is conducive for this event, we however, will not condone any act that would undermine the integrity and security of this nation.” It concluded with paragraph 7; “Finally, let me commend Champion Bash Ali for his commitment to the fight and to assure him that the Federal Government of Nigeria wishes him well, and will avail him all the necessary support and encouragement towards retaining and winning the Championship Title and getting a place of honour in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest boxer to achieve that feat. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honour and privilege to declare the Local Organizing Committee of the Bash Ali Guinness World Records Boxing Championship fight inaugurated.” The Director of Grassroots Sport, Dr Ademola Are as the secretary.
Sir, the Private Sector will fund this historic fight while your Ministry will MIDWIFE the Process ONLY. Your Ministry is not putting up a KOBO but will earn between $50M-$100M.
Sir, on October 15, 2019, President Buhari PERSONALLY directed you to meet with me. You called me severally asking for a PRIVATE meeting with me which I respectfully turned down by requesting for a PUBLIC meeting. Finally, we had a PUBLIC meeting on November 4, 2019 in the presence of all your Heads of Departments including former great runner, Mary Onyali. You praised me to high heaven etc. You informed the House that President Buhari has directed you to meet with me to discuss how to successfully host the historic Fight and that it is no longer Bash Ali’s Fight but Nigeria’s and that every arm of the FG will be involved in the successful hosting of the Historic Fight. And that in as much as President Buhari has directed you to host this Historic Fight, it would be better for the Ministry to settle out of Court the N28M awarded the LOC against the then Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung and that once the Lawsuit is settled, you will invite me and members of the LOC for a meeting so I can teach you the Modus Operandi, time line for the Fight Money to be released etc. In the presence of everybody, I told you that though I am BROKE, I am not interested in the N28M award that I went to court for JUSTICE and that Dalung could have avoided the lawsuit by saying “SORRY”. I told you to give me papers to sign that I will settle for ZERO payment because I did not come to Nigeria to make N28M but billions of dollars. You promised to get back to me before the end of the month. We shook hands.
FROM NOVEMBER 4, 2019 to MARCH 9, 2020, WHAT DID YOU ASK FROM ME THAT I RESPECTFULLY REFUSED TO MAKE YOU BRING IN IMPUNITY, LIES, and CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION TO TRY TO KILL THIS LAUDABLE PROJECT? What? Tell the truth, please.
Sir, since you informed me that this is no longer Bash Ali’s Fight but Nigeria’s, on January 6, 2020, I wrote a letter to President Buhari through you to request for a Courtesy Visit to thank Mr. President for his approval of the inauguration of the LOC, for making my Historic Fight a priority, and to also present to him the Fight souvenirs and a pair of CUSTOM MADE BOXING GLOVES to KNOCKOUT CORRUPTION & BAD ADMINISTRATION in Nigeria.
Sir, you gave me a bloody nose with your angry, rude, arrogant and unprofessional reply to a simple request by a NATIONAL HERO to pay a Courtesy visit to Mr. President and not to you: RE: BASH ALI’S GUINNESS WORLD BOXING PROJECT. Paragraph 2 says; “I am directed to state that it has come to the notice of this Ministry your claims about a non-existent approval from this office of the Minister to embark on the said world fight. It is also to be strongly reiterated that no such approval was given by Mr. President for which you claimed was conveyed to you by the office of the Honourable Minister and that Mr President only directed the Minister to meet with you on the said subject.”
Sir, what is the said subject Mr. President directed you to discuss with me? Did Mr. President direct you to meet with me so you and your cohorts can extort money from me on behalf of Mr. President? Or as discussed on November 4, 2019, for me to teach you the modus operandi is to be recalled that on the 4th of November, 2019 a meeting was held between the Ministry and yourself in the company of Director Legal and other senior staff of the Ministry, wherein the Ministry was categorical about not entering into any meaningful discussion with you in relation to the Guinness Record Fight until the litigation between you and the Ministry is amicably sorted out.”
Sir, which means on November 4, 2019, you and your staff, on behalf of President Buhari invited me to a MEANINGLESS discussion until the litigation between the Ministry and I is amicably sorted out……lol.
Paragraph 4 says; “It is in this regard that this Ministry is surprised to note your manipulation of information to the effect that approval has been granted you to carry out the World Guinness Record Fight. I am accordingly therefore, by this letter, directed to convey that no approval whatsoever was granted you by Mr. President or the Ministry, and it will be in your overall interest to issue another letter stating the factual situation that took place between the office of the Honourable Minister and your good self on the said date in order for us to make further progress on the said matter.”
Sir, is there any sense in paragraph 4? Make further progress on what matter? First, you said I should settle out of court my case against your Ministry before we can make further progress on the Guinness World Record Fight. At the same time you say there is no approval for the fight despite the letters written by your Ministry to all the principal actors and the May 21, 2019 inauguration by the FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports.
Sir, after I turned down more unpatriotic requests from your Ministry, on March 10, 2020, you once again sent me another reply to the SAME January 6, 2020 letter to President Buhari. NOW, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE REPLIES (JANUARY 7, 2020 & MARCH 10, 2020) FROM YOU TO ONE LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUHARI. Only in Nigeria can this happen.
President Buhari and Nigerians should read these letters and see why Nigeria will forever continue to move backwards with deliberate speed.
You have shown yourself as the most CORRUPT, CONFUSED and IRRESPONSIBLE Minister of All Time and each time you claimed you were writing on behalf of the FG thereby portraying the FG as a CONFUSED and IRRESPONSIBLE government.
Sir, the March 10, 2020 letter is more CONFUSING than the January 7, 2020 letter so I will skip most of the RUBBISH and address the most important and incriminating paragraph.
RE:BASH ALI’S GUINNESS WORLD BOXING PROJECT.
Paragraph 4 says; “You are therefore advised to eschew the tendencies of bringing the Ministry or the Federal Government of Nigeria into a Project that has no official approval. Furthermore, you are advised to stop using the picture of Mr. President on any promotional material or the Ministry’s logo for a fight not approved, supported or endorsed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sport Development.”
Sir, it is sad, very sad that as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is supposed to put Nigeria FIRST but because your PERSONAL interest was rejected, you made the above statement about a Project that is approved, supported, inaugurated and fully endorsed by the FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports, and above all, you were PERSONALLY directed by President Buhari to meet with me to discuss how to successfully stage the historic fight in Nigeria. I purposely brought in this paragraph for Mr. President and the world to know that you are the most CONFUSED and CORRUPT Minister in the world to have made such statement.
Sir, the Court case was on March 25, 2020 settled out of Court and instead of paying me N28M you took N13M and paid the LOC N15M. Tell Nigerians why you took N13M and the role you played in the disbursement of the N15M and the millions I returned to you for onward delivery to the FG.
Sir, on May 18, 2020, I sent you a letter to appeal to you to forget about your UNPATRIOTIC and SELFISH demands from me and put Nigeria FIRST by calling for a meeting with the LOC members. I told you to return the N13M you took from the N28M and that I was returning my share of the N15M you gave to me for onward delivery to Mr. President because I did not go to Court for money. I also printed beautiful T-Shirts with your image and with the inscription of “JOIN THE MINISTER AND I TO KNOCKOUT CORRUPTION IN SPORT”. I will keep the other contents of the letter until I meet with President Buhari.
On May 20, 2020, you gave me another bloody nose when you called a Press Conference and told the world that I am a FRAUD and that I have been deceiving Nigerians and the world that the FG is in support of my historic fight and to make a bad situation worse, you sent a copy of the March 10, 2020 letter to my professional associates around the world.
Sir, many top lawyers in and outside of Nigeria have asked me to sue you personally, and the FG for defamation of character, loss of wages etc, but I say NO because I have MAXIMUM RESPECT for President Buhari who unfortunately made you his Minister.
Sir, despite all what you have put me through I still reached out to some prominent Nigerians like Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai to help me talk to you to put Nigeria FIRST.
In the Governor’s letter vide KDS/MYSC/127/V.V/III/290 he pleaded with you to do the right thing by calling for a meeting with the LOC members to discuss how to successfully host this historic event. I also met with the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami who also pleaded with you to call for a meeting with the LOC, but so far you have refused to put Nigeria FIRST by doing the right thing.
Sir, Nigeria is a great country with too much potential and many Nigerians have great dreams but CORRUPT and BAD Ministers like you kill the dreams of great Nigerians and those who can’t stand the heat like my brother, Champion Anthony Joshua, move abroad to realize their goals while those who are stuck in Nigeria, die with their dreams.
Sir, when I started this Project in 2006, I swore to Almighty Allah that I will NEVER bribe a government official to realize my goal and that regardless of the FRUSTRATION and despite many juicy offers to fight outside of Nigeria that I will NEVER GIVE UP on Nigeria and I will NEVER GIVE UP on my dream.
Sir, I intend to break the JINX that a Nigerian can’t succeed in Nigeria unless he or she gives bribe.
Sir, I am respectfully asking you for the following within 14 days of the receipt of this letter:
- Return the N13M you extorted from me from the N28M Court settlement.
- Call a Press Conference to tell the world that the FG is fully involved in this historic fight and apologize for calling me a FRAUD and take out paid advert to apologize in 4 prominent local and international newspapers and 4 prominent local and international television stations.
- As directed by President Buhari and as promised on November 4, 2019, call for a meeting with the members of the LOC and tender your resignation as a Minister
Sir, FAILURE to comply with these prayers will cause a BLACK Sunday in Nigeria. I don’t want you to take this as a THREAT but as a PROMISE
Thank you.
Ma’Salam.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED FOR YOUR URGENT ACTION.
Yours Truly,
Building a Better and a More Profitable Nigeria Through Sports
Bash Ali .OON