By Emma Jemegah
The romance between Guinness Book of Record chasing Bash Ali and the Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare has gone awry.
Miffed by the alleged sabotage of his record chasing, Bashi Ali has threatened to drag the minister to court if in the next 14 days Dare fails to accede to his three-point demands.
In a letter dated April 19, 2021, addressed to the sports minister, through his Permanent Secretary, and copied President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo, Chief of Staff to President Buhari, AGF, Malami, the DSS, the IG of Police, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Daniel Amokachi, SA, Sports to President Buhari, the EFCC, the ICPC and the Minister of Information, Ali is asking the minister to return the N13 million allegedly in his possession from the N28 million court settlement, that Sunday Dare should call a press conference to tell the world that the FG is fully involved in his historic fight and apologise for calling him (Bash Ali) a fraud as well as take out a paid advert in four prominent local and international newspapers and four prominent local and international television stations, and lastly, call for a meeting with members of the LOC and tender his resignation as a minister.
“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,” Ali said.
The Cruiserweight champion catalogues series of alleged moves by the minister to derail his dream of making history by blocking his meeting with President Buhari, including denouncing a project which the president had allegedly sanctioned and gave security guarantee to the visitors that would come for the proposed fight.
“President Buhari and Nigerians should read these letters and see why Nigeria will forever continue to move backwards with deliberate speed because you are portraying the FG as a confused and irresponsible government,” he claimed.
“Sir, it is 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 denounced a project that is approved, supported, inaugurated and fully endorsed by the FG through the Ministry of Youth & Sports.”