Senate to probe Saraki over seized N298m SUV

THE Senate has directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, to investigate the alleged importation of a bullet-proof Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) reportedly worth N298 million by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

The upper chamber gave the directive, on Tuesday, following a motion moved by Senator Ali Ndume, who took the floor through Orders 14 and 15 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015.

The Senate is also to conduct a similar probe on the alleged certificate scandal rocking the chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Dino Melaye.

Ndume said his motion was based on separate publications by an online medium at the weekend.

He urged the Senate to probe the alleged involvement of Saraki and Melaye in the spirit of transparency for which he said the eighth Senate was known.

The online medium had, in separate stories at the weekend, alleged that Saraki and the Senate took on the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) because the Customs seized a vehicle belonging to the Senate President over unpaid duties.

The medium also alleged that Melaye did not complete his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

According to Ndume, the vehicle belonging to Saraki was seized because of an alleged failure of the Senate President to pay the required import duty of N72 million on the vehicle.

He then tendered a printed copy of the report by the online medium.

The Senate, after receiving the reports, asked its committee to investigate the matter and report in four weeks.

But in separate reactions, the Senate President and Melaye rejected the allegations and insisted on their innocence.

The office of the Senate President, in a statement by the special adviser on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the allegation was outright falsehood.

“From the facts and documents about the seized vehicle, it is obvious that the Senate President has nothing to do with the importation of any vehicle.

“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 this is an issue between the supplier and the Customs because the Senate has not taken delivery.

“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,” the statement said.

Melaye, in his reaction, declared his readiness to defend himself before the committee and put the online medium to shame.

He also stated that the online medium was obsessed with generating stories about him, adding that it was a ploy to generate traffic to its site.

“I will not be surprised if by tomorrow, Sahara Reporters says that I am not a Nigerian but I am not in anyway disenchanted and perturbed by their incessant malicious stories on me,” he said.