The Minister of Ports, John Enoh, has issued a stern warning to former World Boxing Champion, Bash Alli, demanding a public apology within a week for making false claims against him. Enoh’s statement comes in response to Alli’s allegations in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, where the boxer claimed that the minister had demanded $1 million from him to endorse his plan to stage the “oldest boxers’ fight in Nigeria.”
In a statement titled,Enoh expressed his intention to take legal action against Alli if he fails to retract his claims and issue a public apology. The minister emphasized that he is compelled to respond to the matter, as he believes ignoring the allegations would be a profound mistake.
Enoh acknowledged that there is a perception in the public domain that individuals in public service are either thieves or kleptomaniacs who exploit the nation’s resources. However, he asserted that this assumption is not entirely accurate, as there are men and women who continue to serve the country with honesty, integrity, and patriotism, and he considers himself to be one of them.
The minister’s statement comes in the wake of a viral video featuring Alli, where the 68-year-old boxer claimed that he could have put Nigeria on the world map through his boxing endeavors, but certain individuals had thwarted his efforts. The video gained attention after chess master Tunde Onakoya recently broke the Guinness World Record for the chess marathon.
Enoh has given Alli a one-week ultimatum to make a public apology for his false claims, warning that failure to do so will result in legal action. The minister’s response underscores the importance of addressing allegations of misconduct and protecting the integrity of public officials, particularly in the face of perceived corruption in the public sector.
