House of Reps summons NSC over Bash Ali’s petition

House of Reps summons NSC over Bash Ali’s petition

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko over a petition submitted by the Bash Ali Boxing Project.

The committee stated that the petition is already within the knowledge of the Sports Commission and has been formally assigned for hearing. The hearing is scheduled for today at 2 p.m., or soon thereafter as the committee may direct.

Citing Sections 83 and 89(c) of its amended constitution, the House also warned that the case might be determined in the absence of the Sports Commission if it fails to appear.

The development has come as a relief to boxing enthusiasts, sports lovers, and Nigerians at large, many of whom have wondered why the Guinness World Record historic fight proposed by Bash Ali has not been held in Nigeria; an idea that first captured national and global interest during the Obasanjo administration.

Bash Ali, Africa’s first Cruiserweight Boxing Champion and former Nigerian Heavyweight Champion, is a renowned figure in world boxing. Having competed in major championships such as the World Boxing Association (WBA) and secured multiple world titles, he is celebrated as both a legend and a flamboyant boxer. His proposal to stage the Guinness World Record Fight in Nigeria was envisioned to place the country on the global sporting map.

However, the project has faced years of delay due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and allegations of corruption among government-appointed sports officials.

Now, Nigerians are hopeful that the long-delayed fight may finally see the light of day, two decades after it was first conceived.

Speaking on the development, journalist Nosahare Idemudia said:

“We are happy the House of Reps is finally looking into this matter and inviting those involved to a hearing. At 69, this is the right time for Bash Ali to make history as the oldest boxer to win a title through sheer brute force, not those arranged fights we see elsewhere. Bash could easily have taken this fight to places like the UAE or Qatar and earned between $8–$10 million, but he insisted it must hold in Nigeria. You can’t beat that level of patriotism. Nigeria must not waste this opportunity.”