Senate to investigate certificate forgery allegation against Melaye

THE Senate on Tuesday mandated its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate alleged certificate forgery against Sen. Dino Melaye.

This followed a point of order raised by former Leader of the Senate, Mohammed Ndume, during plenary.

Citing a publication in the Punch Newspaper of March 20, entitled “Dino Melaye in fake degree scandal”, Ndume said that the issue bordered on the privileges of the Senate.

“We should refer this matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate so that our colleague will be cleared and this Senate will stand as is supposed to be,” he said.

He said that another issue bordering on the privileges of the senate was one on President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, accused of vendetta with the Nigerian Customs Service.

“Newspaper reports say Senate on vengeance after Nigerian Customs seized Sen. Saraki’s bulletproof Range Rover over fake documents.

“My colleagues following events, particularly online, must have read rains of abuses on this senate and the misconception that we invited the C-G of Customs based on an unpopular policy that affects the people we represent.

“Now we are faced with this and the precedence have been formed in the National Assembly. “In the 4th Assembly, Rep. Salisu Buhari, was accused of certificate forgery; he was investigated. “In the 5th Assembly, Rep. Bello Masari was accused of secondary school certificate forgery,” he recalled.

In his remarks, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary, referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, and directed it to report back in four weeks.

Reacting to the allegation later, Melaye told newsmen that the allegation was a welcomed development.

“Democracy is about investigation and no senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is above investigation. We welcome the development.

“It will finally clear the air of all malicious allegations. Sahara Reporters are obsessed with me.

“They use me for marketing and whenever their profile and patronage is down they use me to generate traffic. “I will not be surprised if by tomorrow Sahara Reporters say that I am not a Nigerian.

“To say that I did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said.

Melaye said that he had a Masters Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. “I am already running another Masters in the same university in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. This makes it my seventh degree.”

He said that he was not disenchanted or perturbed, adding that the intention was to distract him. “I will continue to speak the truth at all times. I am not speaking to be liked and praised.”