African Boxing Ambassador, Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali, OON, has made a clarion call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in order for the country to see the dream of staging the Guinness World Boxing Championship during his tenure in office.
Ali, who is fondly called Bash Ali by his teeming admirers, believes that the situation has gone to the level that a presidential intervention from a good man like Tinubu can make the dream come to reality, especially with the way official corruption has allegedly hindered the organisation of the epic world boxing fight in Nigeria over the years.
“Sir, for almost 19 years the FGN has failed me. The FGN has extorted millions from me. The FGN has blackmailed me. The FGN has scammed me and despite several juicy offers to fight outside of Nigeria I still refused to give up on my country, Nigeria. I want to fight in my country, Nigeria so help me, please,” the World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight champion lamented in a letter he wrote to the president on Wednesday, 2 April 2025.
Bash Ali wrote: “Corruption has killed millions of Nigerians and has left most confused and frustrated. If someone had told me that after almost two years into your administration my Guinness World Record Boxing Championship fight would still be stalled, despite my several meetings and discussions with you on the subject matter, I would have punched the person in the mouth.
“For almost 19 years, to make this historic event a reality in Nigeria, the FGN has on three occasions, November 9, 2006, January 7, 2014, and May 21, 2019 inaugurated the Bash Ali Boxing Project Local Organizing Committee with the three arms of government, legislative (Senate and House of Representatives committee chairmen on sports), executive (office of the chief of staff to Mr. President) and the judiciary (office of the Attorney General of the Federation) as members. The private sector will provide the funds while the FGN will provide an enabling environment for a successful show, but corruption has stalled it.”
The African Boxing Ambassador went on to inform President Tinubu that “it is imperative to inform you that the FGN is not putting up a KOBO but to provide an enabling environment and in the process earn the glory, honour and money from hosting this historic event.
“My President Sir, after the FGN has collected $12m and extorted millions of Naira from me in the disguise of putting in place the promotional structures, the FGN has stalled the process of hosting this historic fight because I say NO to further extortion,” he said.
Bash Ali told Tinubu that out of frustration and to get justice, “I had to go to court, and the matter is again coming up on April 7, 2025. I did not leave my comfort zone in Oakland, California, United States of America to fight the FGN in a court of law but to fight in a boxing ring to bring honour, glory and financial growth to FGN but I am in court because I have no choice.
“Sir, the people who extorted millions of Naira from me on behalf of the FGN and those who were not successful are still in your cabinet and have sworn that this historic fight will not see the light of the day unless I cooperate with corruption.”
The ageless pugilist pleaded with Tinubu to intervene by “asking that the court case against the FGN be settled out of court. I am respectfully asking for the immediate re-inauguration of the Bash Ali Boxing Project Local Organizing Committee and that all the unnecessary obstacles caused by corruption by the FGN should be removed so this historic fight can hold in our great country, Nigeria.”
Bash Ali did not end his letter to the president without revealing the immediate benefits of staging the Guinness World Record Boxing Championship fight in Nigeria. He said: “All Guinness World Record Boxing Championship fights have been held in the United States of America so mine would be the first outside and the most lucrative in the history of Pay Per View Television Revenue, sales of souvenirs, sponsorship, advertisement etc. I32 countries are coming to Nigeria to be part of the Boxing History and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has written to the World Boxing Body to guarantee in Nigeria the safety of their members and that the Ministry of Youth & Sports, now the National Sports Commission (NSC) will follow up to ensure timely payment of their Approval Fee which is domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria by the private sector.
