Bash Ali To Dalung: You Must Call LOC Meeting Before Leaving Office

Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung (left) and Bash Ali.

World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, OON, has once again called the attention of Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung to do the needful before he leaves office any moment from now.

There are strong indications that Dalung and other Ministers in President Muhammdu Buhari’s government since 2015 will be asked to vacate their positions any time from now before the 29 May when the President will take an oath of office for his second term.

Before the Sports Minister will leave office, Ali, popularly called Bash Ali, is calling on Dalung to convene the meeting of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the First Guinness World Record Boxing Championship.

According to Bash Ali, this LOC meeting has been belated because it was supposed to come up long time ago but for the Minister’s reluctance and non-challant attitude to the organisation of the fight in Nigeria, his office had not called the meeting.

In a letter dated 6 May, 2019, a copy which was made available to P.M. EXPRESS, Bash Ali said: “Sports lovers in Nigeria will never forget you. A Guinness World Record Boxing Championship has never been held on the soil of Africa and this would be the first and to make it a reality, the Federal Government inaugurated a 15 Man Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to organize the historic event in an efficient and transparent manner. Two banks were mandated to fund this historic event.

“Deputy Director, Clement Ojei is representing the Sports Ministry while the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari is representing the Presidency in the LOC.

“Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s Approval vide memo SH/COS/22/A/627 dated July 21, 2015 and despite the advice of the then Director General, Al-Hassan Salah Yakmut to President Buhari on how to successfully host this historic event in Nigeria vide memo NSC/GRSD/BABP/CON/72 dated August 12, 2015, nothing positive has happened because of corruption and bad administration.

“After several meetings with you were in one instance you praised me to high heaven and after you have written several letters to the International Boxing Union on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari promising to facilitate the quick release of the Fight Money domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and after your January 17, 2017 meetings with the mandated banks, and with their assurances that they are ready to host this historic event, you have refused to call a general meeting with the LOC members because of corruption and bad administration.

“This historic event would be watched live on Pay Per View Television in 132 countries by an estimated audience of between 15 million-20 million people at the rate of 100 USD per viewer for a PPVTV Profit of US1.5 Billion minimum in one night. This historic event would be the most lucrative in the history of PPVTV.

“President Buhari everyday talks about how to diversify our economy from oil and earn money for our country from other sources, so why are you reluctant to call a meeting with all the LOC Members?

“The FG is not putting up a kobo but providing an enabling environment for a Nigerian to excel in Nigeria. So before your exit, I once again respectfully ask you to call for a meeting with all the LOC members.”

P,M. EXPRESS gathered that the letter, which was copied President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Director of Sports, Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as Deputy Director, Clement Ojei in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, had since been submitted to the Minister in Abuja.