The
Senate, on Tuesday, decided to investigate the allegation that an
armoured Range Rover car said to worth N298m and seized by the Nigeria
Customs Service belongs to the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola
Saraki.
The move was based on a point of order raised by former
Majority Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, who also called on the upper
chamber of the National Assembly to investigate the allegation that
Senator Dino Melaye did not complete his first degree in Geography at
the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Also, the ABU management said it would issue a statement on Melaye’s academic status on Wednesday (today).
An
online news portal, SaharaReporters, which made the allegation in a
report published on March 18, 2017, said the seizure of the Sports
Utility Vehicle, allegedly belonging to Saraki, was the reason why the
Senate was moving against the Comptroller General of the NCS, Col.
Hammed Ali (retd.).
The medium reported that the car was
intercepted and impounded on January 11, 2017, by the service for
allegedly having fake documents.
Ndume, at the plenary on
Tuesday, said previous certificate scandals involving members of the
National Assembly were probed by the lawmakers.
He said, “One has
to do with the distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate
President, and it was reported in a paper; I have it here. With your
permission, I will want to, after making presentation, lay it down. It
says that, ‘Senate on Vengeance After Nigeria Customs seized Senator
Saraki’s bulletproof Range Rover Over Fake Documents.’
“My
colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen,
heard or read the rain of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of
the fact that we invited the Customs CG based on a very unpopular
policy that affects the people we represent.
“During the 4th
Assembly, Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery; he was
investigated and his fate determined. After that, in the 5th Assembly,
Bello Masari was accused of certificate forgery (secondary school); it
was investigated and was cleared. In the 6th National Assembly, Dimeji
Bankole was accused of not having NYSC certificate; it was investigated
and he had to show his NYSC certificate.
“Now, that brings me to
the second matter. In the National Assembly, here in the Senate of the
4th Assembly, Enwerem was accused and it was also investigated. Wabara
was accused of collecting a bribe and it was investigated and
determined. So, a lot of precedence had been set. Now, the second matter
of privilege affects my colleague, Sheikh Dino Melaye, and it is in The
Punch of today (Tuesday) on Page 10; I have the newspaper. In The
Punch, it says, ‘Dino Melaye in first degree certificate scandal.’”
Ndume also quoted an online medium with a report titled, ‘Dino Melaye Allegedly Did Not Graduate From University.’
He
added, “Therefore, accordingly, I will appeal we refer the matter to
the Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate so that our
colleagues would be cleared and this Senate will stand as it is supposed
to.”
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who
presided over the plenary, referred the matter to the Committee on
Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which was asked to report back
to the lawmakers in four weeks.
Saraki, however, denied any link with the seized car.
The
Special Adviser to Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph
Olaniyonu, in a statement, stated that the allegation “lacks basis as
it was outright falsehood.”
Olaniyonu said from the facts and
documents about the seized vehicle, it was obvious that the Senate
President had nothing to do with the importation of any vehicle.
He
said, “A supplier was engaged by the Senate to supply a vehicle. While
transferring the vehicle between Lagos and Abuja, it was impounded by
the customs. We believe that is an issue between the supplier and the
customs because the Senate has not taken delivery. So, why is somebody
trying to drag the name of Saraki into the issue?
“The documents
on the vehicle are there for the general public to view and make their
conclusions. Now that the matter has been referred to the Committee on
Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, all the facts will be out.”
Melaye,
who is a member of the committee, in his reaction after the plenary,
told journalists that he was ready to be probed. He also said he would
suspend his membership of the panel pending the determination of the
case.
He said, “I’m here to respond to the issue raised by the …
senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ali Ndume. I want to
say, to me, it is a welcome development. Democracy is about
investigation and no senator is above investigation. To me, it is a
welcome development and it will finally clear the air on all the
malicious and vindictive allegations.
“To say that I did not
graduate from ABU is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. ABU is a very prestigious university in this
country and it is not possible for one to be running a Master’s
programme in the university when one did not graduate from a university.
I have successfully completed one and I am doing the second one.
“I
want to announce that this is the eighth degree that I am pursuing. I
am also a graduate of the University of Abuja, where I did Master’s in
Policy Analysis. I am a graduate of the London School of Economics and
Political Science. I am also a graduate of Harvard University. The
course I am pursuing now will make it my eighth degree.”
When
asked what would happen to his membership of the panel directed to probe
him, Melaye replied, “Definitely, in the interest of justice, I will
excuse myself from the consideration of this matter except when invited
for questioning.”
He added, “I have my admission letters,
results, certificate of discharge from ABU. Not only that, I was the
Student Union Government President of ABU. On three occasions, I was the
most popular student on campus.”
However, the Information
Officer of ABU, Mr. Adamu Muhammed, told one of our correspondents that
the university would issue a formal statement on the status of Melaye on
Wednesday (today).
He said, “We are gathering all the facts from
the faculty and the department concern and we will issue a press
statement tomorrow (today).”
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