On Tuesday, as he celebrated his 68th birthday, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, popularly referred to as Bash Ali, the former World Boxing Federation Cruiserweight Champion, turned to social media to consider his dedication to the battle against corruption.
Ali detailed the hardships he went through over a 17-year period to hold his Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight in Nigeria in a Facebook post on Tuesday. He emphasized his resolve to give in to unethical behavior.
The former World Boxing Federation Champion disclosed that he had lost a great deal of money as a result of his moral stand, going from being a billionaire in US dollars to practically nothing in Naira.
He stated: “Today Tuesday, February 27 is my birthday.
“For 17 years I struggled in vain to host in my country, Nigeria my Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight because I was bold to say no to corruption in sport in particular and in Nigeria in general.
“In 17 years, I went from being a millionaire in dollars to a zeronaire in naira.
“In 17 years, I was beaten and injured that I had to be admitted twice and treated at the National Hospital in Abuja.
“In 17 years, I was detained eight times at various police stations in Abuja. In 17 years, I was once detained at Kuje Prison for 43 days.
“I went through hell in my country not because I am a criminal but because I say no to corruption. Despite juicy offers to fight outside of Nigeria, I never gave up on my dream to fight in Nigeria and I never gave up on Nigeria.
“Today, our dream is finally becoming a reality and because I am an extraordinary human being, I am going to fight until I am 70 years old, retire young and healthy with a lot of money and then go on to be the President of Nigeria. This is my ultimate goal so mark my words.
“Thank u very much for always being by my side. I appreciate you, always. Happy birthday The Great Bash Ali.”.