Melaye, ABU VC appear before senate committee

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, and Ibrahim Garba, vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, are currently before the senate committee on ethics and privileges.

The committee is looking into the allegation that Melaye did not graduate from the school.

The senate mandated the committee to look into the issue after Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, moved a motion that the matter be investigated.

“In the PUNCH of today, page 16 and with your permission I will want to lay it and it says ‘Dino Melaye in first degree certificate scandal’ and it goes on and on,” Ndume had told his colleagues.

“I will therefore appeal to the senate to investigate and our colleagues will be cleared and this senate will stand as it suppose to.”

Speaking with journalists after the decision to probe him was reached, Melaye expressed optimism that the investigation would clear all allegations levelled against him.

The lawmaker said he had obtained seven degrees, and was in the process of bagging the eighth.

“We welcome the development. It will finally clear the air of all malicious allegations,” Melaye had told journalists.

“To say that I did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) zaria is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Melaye claimed that he had degrees from Harvard University and London School of Economics and Political Science.

However, both schools have denied awarding Melaye any degree. Harvard University said Melaye only completed a week-long leadership seminar in November 2016.

There are discrepancies in the spelling of Melaye’s name in some of his academic credentials.

In his Statement of result, his name was given as ‘Daniel Jonah MELAYE’. His name was given as “Melaye Daniel” in his NYSC discharge certificate.

The name on his Diploma from University of Jos read ‘Daniel Dino Melaye’. Melaye possesses an Advanced Diploma in Law, Security and Conflict Resolution from the institution.

Melaye’s name was wrongly spelt in his Senior School Certificate in 1992. It read ‘Melaiye Daniel Jonah O’.