Buhari’s Chief Of Staff, Other Eminent Nigerians In LOC For Bash Ali’s World Title Fight

Some eminent Nigerians have been listed in the reconstituted Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship involving Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali, OON, popularly called Bash Ali, and an American boxer scheduled to hold in the country very soon.

Top most in the list is President  Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. Others are Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Mike Ozekhome, Chief Kenny Martins, Barrister George Ogarmah, the Chairman House Committee on Sports, Chairman Channels Television, Group Managing Director of Daar Communications, Directors General of FRCN and NTA, Executive Secretary National Lottery Trust Fund and the CEOs of Bank of Industry (BOI), Transcorp Hilton, Globacom and Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Ademola Areh, Director Grassroots Sports Department in the Ministry of Sports as the Secretary, Mr. Tim Mudia Osayimwen, Assistant Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adelu, a Lagos-based Communications Expert who is also an Associate Editor with PM. EXPRESS. He is Head of Media and Publicity.

The list of the reconstituted LOC also includes Ogugua Anobili, who is in charge of Logistics & Event Management, Naama Bulama, Rev Femi Iroh and Hon. Daniel Omoghelli.

The former Minister of Sports had on the day of inauguration giving the LOC members 90 days to ensure that the Guinness World Record Fight is staged as it will not be only Bash Ali who will be keeping a date with history with this fight, but Nigeria will use the championship to rebrand her image among the comity of nations as all eyes will be on Nigeria before , during and after the fight. Bash Ali, 63, is aiming for the Guinness Book of World Record as the oldest boxer on earth that will win a world boxing title.

“I believe that with the requisite backing of the Local Organizing Committee and that of Nigerians, he will be able to rewrite boxing history. I enjoin all LOC members to work assiduously and ensure a successful completion of the assignment by making this fight a reality. It will be great if we can conclude this assignment within ninety days which is the time limit given to Nigeria to host this historic fight,” ex-minister Dalung said on the day of the inauguration in Abuja.

The terms of reference of the LOC include but not limited to galvanising resources of support and funding through marketing and promotion to meet the immediate demands of the approving boxing unions, logistics and events management; to immediately re-invite to Nigeria, the President of the World Boxing Federation (WBF), the President of International Boxing Union (IBU) and the Pay Per View television operators for business discussion; to use a befitting venue in any state in Nigeria to host the historic fight and to undertake the packaging of the historic fight in an efficient, effective, transparent and accountable manner.