Melaye accuses Buhari of making ‘unpresidential’ remark about n’assembly

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of making a “derogatory remark” about the national assembly.

Melaye said this on Thursday while speaking on the floor of the senate.

Last week, the president had criticised members of the national assembly when he received a delegation of the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) led by Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

“What have they been doing? Some of them have been there for 10 years. What have they been doing?,” Buhari had said.

Reacting, Melaye said the president belittled the national assembly through the “unpresidential” comment.

He said: “As a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who came to the national assembly in 2007, about 11 years ago, I am particularly unhappy and my privileged was abused by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

“The president in his address said he does not know what we are doing. He said some of us have been in the national assembly for over 10 years and we have nothing to show for it and this and I said this statement is not only unpresidential but is an assault on my person and the institution of the national assembly where I’m proudly a member.

“Such derogatory statements and insult on the national assembly should not be allowed to go unnoticed. I’m very proud to be a member of the national assembly that I have been for the past 11 years.

“One then begin to wonder why you will summon the IGP and he will refuse to come, we are not surprised why director-generals of parastatals or agencies will refuse to honour summons of the national assembly because the body language of the president is demeaning body language of the national assembly.”

The senator said it was wrong for Ali to lead a campaign organisation as the head of a para-military organisation.

“I feel I should bring this to the notice of this senate. The occasion where the president made this statement is an event of the BSO led by comptroller-general of customs,” he said.

“CG of customs is a rank in a para-military organisation. If the CG customs will be leading a Buhari campaign delegation, it is an aberration to his oath of office.”