The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, in this exclusive interview with TAOFEEK LAWAL cleared the air about the allegations levelled against him by Nigerian boxer, Bash Ali, of frustrating his (Ali) Guinness World Record fight. He also spoke on why the National Sports Festival has not held in three years, why he dresses in Khaki and beret among others.
Much has been said and written about the proposed Bash Ali Guinness World Record Fight and Bash Ali has been going around maligning your name before Nigerians that you are the one frustrating his fight. Can you shed light on this allegation on what transpired between you and Bash so that Nigerians can understand the true picture of things?
The idea of Bash Ali Guinness World Record fight is indeed a very laudable idea but practically looks utopian. Bash Ali proposed to the government some six years ago the idea of the fight and the International Boxing Association was brought into it. The government then set up a local organising committee involving the then National Sports Commission and the representatives of some investment banks like the NEXIM Bank, Bank of Industry and the Central Bank. But shortly after the committee was inaugurated, Bash Ali unilaterally usurped its function and was running the committee as a one-man riot gang. So, investors who were brought in by government withdrew just after the first meeting, NEXIM Bank, Bank of Industry and CBN. When I came on board as a minister, he (Bash) met me and explained how he went to NEXIM bank, occupied the bank. He occupied the bank on a day the bank was holding an international conference with foreign investors; blocked foreigner investors within the precinct of the bank. The bank had to invite the police who got him arrested and he was detained in Kuje Prison. After explaining all this to me, I told him I would take a second look at it from the presentation, the idea looked quite interesting. When I assumed responsibilities, I went for the records and I discovered that what I narrated had happened. Bash Ali didn’t want me check the records because he was accusing everybody in the ministry (of Sports) as corrupt and asking him for bribe and that I should dispense with them. But I told him it was not possible because it is government business and it is there in the government records. So, I needed to look at the records, reposition myself very well, study it and take a decision that would be of good benefit not only to Bash but Nigerians in general. While I was still digging for the records to study them, Bash Ali went round and started sending texts that the ministry is corrupt and that even, me who had just assumed responsibilities, I am corrupt as I have asked him for $100million bribe. It became another press issue. So when I was questioned by the press, I simply dismissed it. There is an adage in Hausa that says ‘If somebody is giving you a gift of a shirt, look at the type of shirt he is wearing’. Does Bash Ali look like somebody who has one dollar that I will ask him to give me $100million? At that point, I discontinued action on the issue because he had already accused me of demanding bribe, whatever step I would take would only collaborate the fact that I am working as a result of the bribe I was given. He now petitioned the president, wrote everywhere and circulated it. The petition got to the Presidency and it was sent back to me. I replied that it is something that does not require any cause to worry. On the strength of that, I now wrote and invited the president for guidance that the project was started by the former government, this was why they abandoned it, this is the benefit we stand to gain and this is the man behind it. I invited him to consider and the president wrote that the idea is wonderful but it is business-oriented and so Bash Ali should be advised to get sponsors to finance the fight and we sent the letter to Bash. The commitment by the federal government, which is our responsibility has already been given, what is left is for him to source for sponsors to finance the project.
With what you have just said so far, what will the government do for Bash Ali if he humbles himself?
Government cannot bring money and give him but government can guarantee the fight and investors can have confidence to invest their money. The federation in charge of the fight, the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) which the ministry recognises must be fully involved. The NBB of C is the first guarantor of the fight because they will provide us with technical aspects of the fight. So, it’s not just a Bash thing. If Bash has a very good idea, he should route it through the federation and if they now write to guarantee it and make it as part of their project, then we can take a second look at the project and see how jointly we can now mobilise investors and guarantee their investments but anything outside this might not be too good for us in the ministry.
Away from the Bash Ali boxing project, the National Sports Festival (NSF) has not been held in the past three years. People are wondering what is responsible for the constant postponement. The NSF, as we know, used to be the hub where talented and budding talents are discovered and nurtured to represent Nigeria in international meets. The question is when will the NSF hold again?
Unfortunately, for about three years or thereabout, the National Sports Festival did not take place. When we came on board, we decided to resuscitate the issue of the hosting rights. The hosting right was given to Calabar in 2014 to coincide with the Centenary celebration of the country in the first capital city of Nigeria. But Calabar has since then be unable to host the festival till today. With this issue that you have raised, I know that they (Calabar) approached the Federal Government for N600million intervention but it was not possible. This is because one, they were setting a dangerous precedence. Secondly, where they were requesting the money from is the National Trust Fund. They routed their correspondence to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and sidelined the ministry. What they did was to go to the Trustee and asked for fund while the owner, the beneficiary of the fund was not contacted or taken along in terms of writing through him because he must concede to part with his money before the Trustee could approve. They did that and when it got to the SGF who is the chairman of the National Trust Fund, he called me and I told him I wasn’t aware and he said it was not possible for the Fund to do anything and that is where we are now. But we are holding the National Sports Festival this year because I have been visiting states across the country. Very soon, we’ll hold the National Sports Council meeting and the Council has the right to determine the question of hosting rights if it going to be relocated to another place but this year we will definitely hold the festival just like we held the National Youth Games in 2016 after two years.
Nigerians want to understand the idea of your khaki and beret wearing as a sports minister. They are curious about this and would like to know the significance of this dressing.
May be because of the curiosity of the much younger minds otherwise, the way you dress is completely your business and should not bother anybody. I even have problems with the way other people dress but because it is a democratic setting, there is amplitude of right to freedom but I don’t care about it. Back to the mode of dressing as a public official, it is just to look simple and not to forget where I am coming from. I am an activist who believes in social justice, the right of the common people so I don’t want to forget my root easily by the position I presently occupy. It is a signature of my commitment to struggle for social justice. Basically, it is not to forget where I am coming from.
You seem to be the most misunderstood minister in this government. Why do you think people have this perception about you?
Sport is a national passion and the interest in sport is more than any other thing in Nigeria. It is the only thing that unites all Nigerians. It is only in Nigeria that we have so many stakeholders in sports who cannot define their stake. These self-appointed stakeholders have appropriated to themselves the monopoly of wisdom and knowledge of sports so much so that they mirror anybody from their perspective and personal background. So, if you are strange, you are not welcomed and they have succeeded in using negative publicity in removing ministers. But what they don’t know is that sport policy requires time to mature. Olympics is planned every four years, the Commonwealth Game is biennial. So if a minister of sports, who started nurturing athletes for Olympics, just spends four months and he is removed, you can imagine the type of performance of Nigeria during international meets. It is not about the incompetence of ministers but the conspiracy of the people who believe they can sack anybody. They intimidate ministers and the minister will be cowed and need to now go begging. I am being misunderstood because I am somebody who doesn’t have a godfather. And that tells you that I am never going to lie down for anybody. I don’t see this seat as anything because I can leave it any day. I don’t intend to be understood, I can only be understood when I leave here. But one thing I have enjoyed these days which is not happening is this negative press. The negative press has put me on my toes and made me to work very hard. If I check the papers, I will see ‘sack Dalung’ which means Dalung is doing something. I am used to the negative press already. It is like fuel for me, it energises me and it inspires me to do more. This negative publicity has affected our sports and was responsible for one of the medals we lost in Rio Olympics. One of our athletes who could have given us medals in athletics read online how one of the newspapers had damaged the integrity of the athlete. She could not make it because it affected her performance. Negative publicity has destroyed our sports. You can spend the whole billions on an athlete but it only takes one sentence to destroy that effort. The point is that we are all sports stakeholders; the media, private sector, sportswriters, the ministry, national federations, fans and Nigerians in general. We are all stakeholders and we must collectively come together to strengthen our sports. The idea of saying you are going to write negative stories to sack anybody is gone forever. They can write their stories and opinions while you do your work and when you leave, posterity will judge you.