In this piece, EZREL TABIOWO, captures details of the investigations by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, mandated to probe recent allegations against Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Senator Dino Melaye
The raging forgery scandal involving the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and embattled lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, was on Monday quelled following earth shaking testimonies which vindicated both lawmakers before the senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions mandated to investigate the allegations.
This was just as the Senate President, while appearing before the panel, drew the battle line by saying the National Assembly would henceforth take swift action against blackmailers of the National Assembly.
Accordingly, the upper chamber, directed the clerk of the committee, Mr. Freedom Osolo, to issue summons on the Nigerian Customs Service, to appear before it Tuesday at 4:00pm, to validate allegations against the Senate President.
Recall that Senator Saraki, was alleged in recent media report, to have abused the privileges of his office by importing an Sport Utility Vehicle (Range Rover) with fake National Assembly papers and evading customs duties to the tune of N74 million.
On the other hand, the second respondent under investigation by the panel, Senator Melaye, was accused of not graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as claimed by the lawmaker.
The respondent, Dino Melaye, who was seated 5 mins to the time scheduled for the investigative hearing by the committee, was adorned in a white attire and blue cap to match.
The lawmaker, who was in a cheerful and unperturbed mood, exchanged jokes and compliments with members of the committee moments before commencement of the hearing.
The hearing was called to order by the Chairman of the Ethics and Privileges committee, Senator Samuel Anyawu, at 1:16pm.
When asked to usher in the complainant, Senator Ali Ndume, the Clerk of the committee said all attempt to reach him were futile, adding that calls and text messages to his phone went unanswered.
The committee chairman, however, informed members of. The committee that Senator Ndume called him Sunday night to inform him that he would be present before the committee on Monday.
Anyawu, then proceeded to call on the respondent, Senator Melaye, to explain if the allegations of certificate forgery leveled against him were true or false.
Melaye, who was placed on oath at exactly 1:27pm by the committee, proceeded to tender photocopies of some documents to the committee, part of which were his acceptance offer by the University, Letter of Admission, Certificate issued upon graduation by the University, NYSC certificate.
He however noted that all documents were issued to the bearer Daniel Jonah Melaye, names which he bore before a name change was effected much later after graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
When asked to provide the original copy of the certificate he graduated with, Melaye disclosed that he was yet to collect same from the institution, but promised to do so this weekend.
Senator Tayo Alasoadura, a member of the Ethics committee, upon going through the documents submitted by Melaye, observed that the suspicions of Nigerians over the certificate scandal originated with the change of names by the lawmaker from Daniel Jonah Melaye to Dino Melaye.
Asked how he felt through the sordid and embarrassing incident, a smiling Senator Dino Melaye retorted saying, “I enjoyed the free publicity so far, and I ask for more scandals”, a comment which generated an outburst of laughter from members of the committee and observers present at the hearing.
Then came the deciding moment, which saw Professor Ibrahim Garba, Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, being ushered in and placed on oath at 1:45pm by the committee.
At the point of the Vice Chancellor taking the oath, the complainant, Senator Ndume, who called for Senator Melaye’s probe, walked into the venue of the hearing unnoticed and took a seat quietly beside members of the panel.
After the administration of oath on the Vice Chancellor, the committee chairman amidst the provoking silence which engulfed the committee room, went straight to ask if the professor knew Dino Melaye, and whether or not he graduated from ABU, Zaria.
A soft-spoken Professor Garba, who replied in the affirmative, disclosed that from records, the lawmaker “graduated from the university with a Third Class degree, Bachelors of Arts in Geography, from the University in 2000”.
After testifying before the panel, the Chairman of the committee, then asked Professor Garba to take his leave.
Moments later, Senator Ndume was then asked by the Chairman of the committee to take his seat before the panel immediately after the departure of the Vice Chancellor.
Senator Anywau, in a direct tone, asked the former majority leader of the Senate to testify before the panel if his petition was based on hearsay, what he read, or solid evidence at his disposal, after which an oath was administered on him at 1:51pm by the committee.
Responding, Senator Ndume said, “let me start by saying I did not petition. I only raised an issue of privilege in a bid to protect the integrity of the Senate”.
Citing order 14 and 15 of the Senate standing order, the lawmaker said that he simply drew the attention of the upper legislative chamber to the allegations in the media in a request made, and to which the red chamber obliged.
He further stated that going by documents he was privy to seeing alongside alleged reports, he did not understand how a person who graduated in 2000 would go for National Youth Service in 1999.
Lawmakers on the panel, who were attracted to, and bewildered by the observation raised by Ndume, at this point reached out to peruse the documents tendered by the respondent, Senator Melaye for confirmation.
But an angry Peter Nwaoboshi, pointed to Ndume, that contrary to his claims, and going by documents submitted to the panel, Melaye Daniel completed his service from July 9, 2000 to July 8, 2001.
Asked by Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), if he was convinced by the authenticity off the documents submitted by the respondent, Ndume said he would rather maintain status quo ante (the way things were before).
He added: “I have no personal interest for this, I only have an interest which is to protect the institution of the National Assembly. What I did was to bring this matter to the senate because of the raging controversy stirred”.
Ndume, who was then discharged by the panel at 2:42pm to allow the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, appear before the committee, was told that he may be asked by the panel to re-appear should the need arise.
While the panel was on a short recess awaiting the arrival of the Senate President who was next to appear before the committee, Senator Ibn Bala Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South), requested that he be excused from being a part of the panel to grill the Senate President.
He said his request was based on grounds that he was mentioned in allegations which suggested that he was used to carry out a vengeance mission against the Customs boss, Hameed Ali.
The chairman, in accordance with the rule of the senate, granted Na’Allah’s request to withdraw from the Senate panel investigating allegations against the Senate President.
At exactly 2:50pm, the Senate President walked in tall into the venue of the hearing, accompanied by Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT), John Enoh (PDP, Cross River Central), Mohammed Hassan (PDP, Yobe South).
Senator Bukola Saraki was then placed on oath at 2:54pm by the committee under the instruction of its Chairman, Senator Anyawu.
Asked if he is an importer, or imported any Sports Utility Vehicle (Range Rover) in his name, and cleared by fake documents of the National Assembly, the Senate President without batting an eyelid bluntly said, “I am not an importer, and at no time did he import an SUV range rover”.
Commenting further on the recent allegations against him, Senator Saraki in a stern and firm tone said: “I believe this process is good for us, it will strengthen this institution. But let me note Mr. Chairman, that we must at all times protect the institution of the National Assembly. We have got to a point where we must rise to protect the institution against people who are bent on embarrassing the National Assembly.”
He then added on a lighter note, “I’m glad that I was accompanied here by Senators who are all graduates”, a remark which caused the room to erupt in another round of laughter.
After the Senate President’s departure, one Mr. Tokunbo Akindele, the importer of the SUV alleged to have being purchased and imported by Senator Saraki, told the committee that the car was received in September 2015, but stated categorically that “it was not imported for the Senate President”.
He added that at no time did the company use fake documents for the importation of the vehicle as all duties were duly paid by the importer.
“There was no documents received from the National Assembly, not to talk about fake documents used for clearing the vehicle”, Akindele said.
On his path, the committee Chairman on Senate Services, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, who also appeared before the panel, said at no time did the senate have anything to do with the importation off a range rover SUV as alleged.
On his path, a cardealer, Mr. Lanre Shittu, disclosed that the SUV was consigned to him for sale, following the refusal of one Mr. Wale Tinubu, an Executive with OandO, to take delivery of the vehicle, over an excuse of it arriving late into the country.
Shittu said the vehicle was supplied to the National Assembly, but at no time was the apex legislative body responsible for its importation.
He explained: “We supplied the vehicle to the National Assembly. There was never a time we had any papers for the importation of this vehicle from the National Assembly.
What happened was during the interception of the vehicle by customs, our office was notified. We then forwarded the documents used for importation by the importer to the customs. It was those documents that they said were fake”.
Senators who at this time were satisfied with grilling those involved in the importation of the SUV in question, immediately resolved to have the Nigerian Customs Service summoned.
The clerk was then directed by the committee Chairman, Senator Anyawu, to write the NCS, asking it to appear before the committee today unfailingly by 4:00pm.
I believe this process is good for us, it will strengthen this institution. But let me note, Mr. Chairman, that we must at all times protect the institution of the National Assembly. We have got to a point where we must rise to protect the institution against people…
