NEWS
Sports Minister Denies Bash Ali’s Bribery Accusations
Senator John Owan Enoh, Minister of Sports Development, has vehemently denied bribery allegations made by former world boxing champion Bash Ali.
In a letter titled “BASH ALLI AND HIS SERIAL BLACKMAIL MUST BE CONFRONTED AND DEFEATED,” addressed to the press, Enoh rebuffed Ali’s sudden and unfounded criticism, stating that it undermines core values such as decency, honesty, and integrity.
This response comes after Ali’s claims gained attention through a trending video and an open petition to the President.
Ali alleged that Senator Enoh demanded an additional one million dollars to endorse his proposal for hosting what he referred to as the oldest boxers’ fight in Nigeria.
The statement reads “I am constrained to address you today to speak to the trending video and open petition to the President wherein Bash Alli, a former World Boxing Champion threw caution and decency to the wind to allege that I demanded the sum of ‘another ‘1 USD( One million dollars) from him inorder to endorse his plan to stage what he calls the oldest boxers fight in Nigeria.
“When Bash Alli released his video and open letter to the President,with the sole aim to defame and destroy my reputation and integrity, some friends and associates advised that I totally ignore him and his blackmail gambit. They believe that by responding to Bash Alli and his vile campaign of calumy, I will validate and bring him to the limelight.
“After a deep reflection, I have come to the inevitable conclusion that to ignore him will be a profound mistake. My reason for this is twofold. First, the perception in the public domain is that those in the public service are either thieves or kleptomaniacs who mindlessly pillage our Commonwealth.
“This assumption, no matter how widely held, is not true. Despite our challenges as a nation, there are men and women who continue to serve our country with honesty, integrity, and patriotism. I AM ONE OF SUCH. Secondly, ignoring Bash Alli and his tradition of deploying blackmail and gutter tactics now,will further embolden and enable him to continue in his usual trajectory even after I have served out my mandate as minister of Sports, without consequences.
“Gentlemen of the press, you are aware that before I was appointed to the office of Minister of Sports Development, Bash Alli had sought to mindlessly impugn the character and reputation of some of my predecessors in office, without any shred of evidence.
“In my own case, he has exhumed and redeployed this hydra headed monster and gone overboard because past Ministers perhaps treated him and his wild allegations with kid gloves. To simply walk away from this baloney, for me, is not an option. “Bash Alli’s allegation that I demanded for “another 1 million dollars”as if I had received a first tranche of one million dollars from him,or perhaps any of my predecessors had done so,is a manufactured lie from the pit of hell.
“At no point in time did I demand for any form of gratification from Bash Alli. The questions to ask are these: One million dollars from where? If Bash Alli had one million dollars, why has he not staged his fight? His spurious allegation suffers from fatal deformity and is based on the erroneous impression that government in Nigeria is a cash cow at the mercy of public servants to pillage at will.
“Let me be clear. Bash Alli desperately wanted to meet me in my very early days as Minister of Sports Development when I had hardly settled down on the job. In the deluge of his desperate attempts, I decided to meet him against the advice of the staff of the Ministry who were familiar with his character and antics. Against their advice,I decided to meet him out of respect for his age and based on the open door policy with which I am currently leading the Ministry.
“Conscious of the advice of some key staff of the Ministry,I sought to insulate myself and the office from any blackmail that may emanate from this meeting by making sure that my team was present at the meeting. He presented the issue of his pet project, and I told him to be patient while i get more briefing from the Ministry.
“All my life, the said meeting is the first and only time I ever met Bash Alli. There were no follow-ups after that one-off meeting, and I did not introduce any of my aides to him. After the said meeting, I politely refused to meet with him to this day in spite of his numerous requests and pressures.
“His incessant messages to me will speak to his desperation. “Gentlemen of the press, as you know, Bash Alli’s plan to stage his boxing fight in Nigeria has a long history spanning almost two decades. To achieve this personal aspiration, he has deployed all manner of strategies including naked blackmail and under hand tactics in his desperate effort to arm twist the Federal Government to spend upwards of $50m USD to stage his fight.
“Successive Ministers of Sports have rightly told him that his plan to stage this fight is not the responsibility of the government but a business that should be executed by the private sector.
“In concluding this statement, gentlemen of the press, I sincerely believe that, in spite of our numerous challenges, our country still has a soul. Our humanity will be irretrievably destroyed the day we lose our soul. Bash Alli’s desperate and unprovoked withering attack on me is an attack on decency, honesty, and integrity.
“The move to clear my name has just started, and there will be no let up until I achieve this sacred mission. In addition to other remedies under the ambit of the law, I have instructed my lawyer to write Bash Alli demanding an immediate public retraction of his allegations and to render a public apology.
“He will have just one week to do this; the failure to do this on his part will leave me with no option than to approach the courts to both clear my name and seek damages.” he added
Dangote Industries Limited and CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) have entered into a multi-year global partnership to showcase African businesses, innovation and industrial development to audiences around the world.
A key part of the partnership is Dangote’s sponsorship of Africa Inc., a new half-hour programme on CNN International that will highlight African companies competing and expanding on the global stage.
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Hosted by Adefemi Akinsanya, Africa Inc. will examine businesses across sectors including technology, hospitality, manufacturing and entertainment, while exploring Africa’s growing influence on global commerce, innovation and consumer trends.
The programme is scheduled to premiere on CNN International on August 29, 2026, with four additional episodes planned for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.
Bespoke Africa Inc. segments will also air every two months on CNN International, supported by digital and social media content.
The partnership will further feature branded content produced by CNNIC’s in-house studio, Create, under the Africa First series.
The series will focus on Africa’s drive towards energy independence and economic transformation through films, data-driven articles and social media content highlighting the continent’s industrial development.
Dangote Industries will be featured as one example of Africa’s industrial transformation.
The campaign will run across CNN International, CNN.com and CNN Arabic, as well as CNN Business platforms on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The Africa First content will also feature across CNN’s US television and digital platforms.
Beyond television and digital media, Dangote Industries will sponsor three editions of CNN’s new Global Perspectives events franchise over the next 12 months.
CNN International Commercial Senior Vice President for Advertising Sales, Cathy Ibal, said the partnership would help bring stories of African innovation, resilience and leadership to CNN’s international audience.
“We are pleased to once again be working with Dangote Industries Limited to tell the stories of a self-sufficient Africa,” Ibal said.
Dangote Industries Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, said the collaboration was part of the conglomerate’s global brand positioning strategy.
He added that the partnership would provide a platform to showcase Dangote Industries’ Vision 2030 economic blueprint and industrialisation drive to a global audience.
The Africa First branded content is expected to launch this week, ahead of the August 29 premiere of Africa Inc. on CNN International.
One distinguishing factor of the recruits of the NNPC Tigers Class of 2026, is the emergence of identical twin brothers, Hussaini and Hassan Malami, among them, as both secured positions at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
The brothers’ recruitment has also challenged a common misconception that the NNPC Ltd does not employ more than one person from the same family.
Hussaini had always desired a career at the NNPC Ltd and applied immediately when the recruitment opened. He then encouraged Hassan, his twin brother to submit an application.
Hassan, however, was initially reluctant because he believed the NNPC Ltd only hired one person per family and did not want to interfere with his brother’s ambition.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Energy Security Depends on Pipeline Protection
His own career aspiration was to join the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). He already worked in the banking sector and had not considered a corporate career.
His doubts were also influenced by the experience of three older siblings — a lawyer, an engineer and a business administrator — who had previously applied to the NNPC Ltd without success.
Hassan eventually applied close to the deadline following repeated encouragement from his twin.
The brothers sat for the computer-based test on the same day but in different locations, with Hussaini taking his test in Sokoto and Hassan in Kaduna.
After going through the recruitment process, including interviews, both brothers received employment letters on the same day.
“I opened the email after midnight and wanted to wake everybody up to tell them,” Hussaini laughed.
Hassan discovered the news after seeing it on the family WhatsApp group when he woke up.
He said Hussaini’s success made him nervous about his own chances.
“I was now nervous about the possibility of not being successful once Hussaini shared his news.”
Both brothers eventually secured positions at the state oil major.
Hussaini now works with the NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NNPC E&P Limited), while Hassan is with the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC).
For Hassan, his new position has provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s gas industry.
“I didn’t know there was a whole business dedicated to transporting gas,” Hassan said. “Now I’ve seen how gas powers plants and manufacturing companies…. Hearing that gas is the future is one thing. Seeing how it is happening is another.”
Although Hassan had initially been uninterested in a corporate career, he now considers his work at the NNPC Ltd another way of serving Nigeria.
He still hopes to explore military service before reaching the age limit in 2030.
Hussaini, meanwhile, said his experience has strengthened his long-standing ambition to contribute to society. He also hopes to return to his university as a guest lecturer and share his professional experience with students.
“When I was in university, I only had one lecturer with field experience,” he said. “I want to share practical experience with students someday.”
Asked which of the NNPC Ltd’s culture transformation pillar best reflects his mindset, Hussaini selected Enterprise First.
He explained his choice by saying that “giving your best to the company is giving your best to the country.”
Hassan identified with Execution Excellence, drawing from his background as a civil engineer.
“I’m a civil engineer…. I like seeing things come to life from concept to completion.”
The twins also urged young Nigerians interested in joining the NNPC Ltd not to be discouraged by rumours about the recruitment process.
“Ignore the rumours. You don’t need to know anybody at NNPC. Apply. Take the test and earn your place.”
Their story demonstrates that being from the same family does not prevent multiple candidates from securing opportunities at the NNPC Ltd, provided they meet the requirements and successfully navigate the recruitment process.
Identical Nigerian twins, Hussaini and Hassan Malami, have secured employment with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited as members of the NNPC Tigers Class of 2026, after overcoming a misconception about the company’s recruitment process.
Their inspiring story was contained in a profile by Adaobi Oniwinde, Senior Communications Advisor at NNPC Limited, on Monday.
Hussaini, who had always aspired to work with NNPC, applied when the company opened its recruitment exercise and encouraged his twin brother, Hassan, to do the same.
SEE ALSO: NNPC Ltd Considers Commissioning, as AKK Gas Pipeline Lands Abuja
Hassan initially hesitated because he believed NNPC recruited only one person from a family. Concerned that applying could jeopardise his brother’s chances, he decided against it at first.
He was also more interested in joining the Nigerian Air Force and already had a job in the banking sector.
However, with the application deadline approaching and following persistent encouragement from Hussaini, Hassan eventually applied.
The brothers later took the computer-based recruitment test on the same day but at different locations, with Hussaini sitting for his test in Sokoto and Hassan taking his in Kaduna.
After going through interviews and other stages of the recruitment process, both brothers received employment letters on the same day.
Hussaini said he discovered his employment offer after midnight and was eager to share the news with his family.
“I opened the email after midnight and wanted to wake everybody up to tell them,” he said.
Hassan said he learnt about his successful application through the family WhatsApp group when he woke up.
“That’s when the pressure hit me. I was now nervous about the possibility of not being successful once Hussaini shared his news,” he said.
The twins eventually secured positions in different NNPC subsidiaries. Hussaini joined NNPC Exploration & Production Limited, while Hassan joined NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company.
For Hassan, the new job has exposed him to aspects of Nigeria’s gas industry that were previously unfamiliar to him.
“I didn’t know there was a whole business dedicated to transporting gas,” he said, explaining that his experience had given him a clearer understanding of how gas powers plants and supports manufacturing companies.
Although Hassan had initially hoped to pursue a career in the military, he now considers his role in the energy sector another form of national service.
He also said he still hoped to explore military service before reaching the age limit in 2030.
Hussaini, on his part, said working at NNPC had strengthened his desire to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s energy sector.
He also expressed interest in becoming a guest lecturer at his university in the future, saying he wanted to share practical industry experience with students.
“When I was in university, I only had one lecturer with field experience,” he said. “I want to share practical experience with students someday.”
The brothers also identified different NNPC culture transformation pillars that reflected their individual approaches to work.
Hussaini chose “Enterprise First,” saying, “Giving your best to the company is giving your best to the country.”
Hassan, a civil engineer, selected “Execution Excellence,” explaining, “I’m a civil engineer. I like seeing things come to life from concept to completion.”
The twins urged young Nigerians interested in working with NNPC to ignore rumours about the recruitment process and apply whenever opportunities arise.
“You don’t need to know anybody at NNPC. Apply. Take the test and earn your place,” they said.
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