MPs pay tribute to Mohamed Ali

Members of Parliament (MPs) have paid glowing tribute to the late Mohammad Ali, former heavyweight boxing champion, describing him as a legend, great civil rights activist and the greatest boxer the world will ever know.

The House said Ali was also a strong person, who fought against racial abuse and lifted the dignity of the black race in America, a principled man who fought against injustice and poverty.

The late Ali, born on January 17, 1942, at Louisville, Kentucky, USA died at the age of 72 in Scotsdale Arizona, the USA on June 3, 2016.

Wikipedia described Ali as “widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the world.”

Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Majority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, in a statement on behalf of Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, on the late boxing legend, said Muhammed Ali was a silent messenger of peace and a selfless messenger, whose death broke people’s hearts, souls and conscience.

Mr. Iddrisu said Ali, apart from being a boxing legend, believed in fairness and inclusiveness and also stuck to his beliefs even when those views were unpopular at the time he expressed them.

"Ali was a silent messenger of peace. He is described as a selfless stranger to fame. He broke our hearts, souls and conscience with his death. He never shied away from any fight, Mr. Iddrisu said, adding “he wrote his own story.”

“Ali was great, yet humble and principled and was a man who dedicated a greater part of his life-fighting poverty and injustice.”

Mr. Iddisu said Ali was, indeed "the greatest" who spoke out against racism, war and religious intolerance, and led battles on behalf of his faith and religious beliefs.

"Never in the field of fisticuffs was so much owed by so many to one man," he added.

Mr. Kobena Tahir Hammond, in a contribution, described Ali as a great boxer who could accurately predict when to knock down an opponent.

"There will never be a great boxer like Ali," he said.

Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central, described Ali as "a committed boxer who represented the truth.

Mr. Isaac Osei, MP for Subin, said "mentioned the visit of the former heavyweight champion to Ghana in 1964 when he (Osei) was a student at Achimota School.

He said as one of the children who were lined up to greet the legendary boxer, he refused to wash his hands after he had shaken Ali’s hands.

Mr. Cletus Avoka, MP for Zebilla, described Ali as a strategist and humble person, adding that, it was through the exploits of Ali and some others that inspired America to have its first black President in the person of Barack Obama.

“Mohammed Ali was a good strategist, a living legend, educationist, and a sports personality who made the black race very important in the history of America”, he noted.