For the second time this year, Nigerian boxer, Bashiru Ali(Bash Ali) disrupted business activities at the headquarters of Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) yesterday, deriding Robert Orya -led management’s refusal to support his N150 million boxing contest. As early as 11am, Bash Ali and a handful of his supporters had driven to NEXIM Bank in anticipation of holding a scheduled meeting with Orya to facilitate the release of the money meant to aid the hosting of his boxing competition.
Ali, who was lying flat on the floor outside the premises of NEXIM Bank at as the time our correspondent visited NEXIM Bank yesterday, said Orya’s security guard on his instruction, pushed him down while a vehicle climbed over his legs. Struggling with emotion to narrate his ordeal, he said his coming to NEXIM Bank was sequel to another letter he addressed to bank dated July 20th which the bank responded to and invited him for a meeting yesterday.
On why the bank denied him entrance if he was truly invited for a meeting, he said the bank had requested for a private meeting to be held with him, without his staff ; an arrangement he objected to, thus prompting the MD to come down with his security guard to roughen him up. Responding to allegation by Ali on phone, Orya denied his security touched Ali.
He said NEXIM’s Bank mandate did not include funding sporting activities and questioned why Ali has chosen to constantly harass the bank. “Please ask him what he is doing there. I have explained to this man times without number that NEXIM Bank does have the mandate to sponsor sporting activities”, Orya told our correspondent on phone.
Source: New Telegraph
