There seems to be no end to the certificate scandal hunting a senator representing Kogi west senatorial district, Dino Melaye as exam officers at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, countered the submission of the vice chancellor of the institution before the Senate on Monday 27 that Melaye graduated with third class.
SaharaReporters gathered that the exam officers disagreed with the ABU VC, Prof Ibrahim Garba as they maintained that Melaye did not fulfil his course requirements.
They alleged that Melaye connived with the HOD, Prof. D.O Ogbonna, who according to them later died while teaching at Kogi state university to award fake grades. The exam officers said that Dino Melye did not fulfil a major course of graduation reqirements, Geog 307 (Long field trip).
ABU has since refused to confirm or deny Melaye’s graduation status saying it would await the outcome of a Senate investigation into the matter. Critics and opponents have accused Melaye of lying that he graduated from ABU and said he has no certificate to prove he graduated. The lawmaker has, however, insisted he graduated from the university, one of Nigeria’s oldest universities.
In a similar vein, Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, has said he is ready put his life on the line to ensure that Nigeria is rid of manipulative leaders.
Sowere said he would die to ensure that those he described as “drug dealers, certificate forgers, money launderers, political manipulators, and assassins” are named and shamed. He stated this via a post he made on his Facebook page in response to a statement made by Senator Dino Melaye that he would ensure he (Sowore) is sent to jail for alleged libel.
He said the quagmire between himself and Melaye can be likened to that of former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, who instituted libel charges, petitions, even incarcerated and allegedly murdered late Dele Giwa and persecuted Gani Fawehinmi over their investigative stance.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, the Chairman Senator Samuel Anyanwu, having put Dino Melaye on oath, explained that there was a complaint against him by a colleague, Senator Ali Ndume that he was parading a questionable degree certificate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
While responding, Dino having tendered series of documents to support that he was a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University explained that he has also sworn affidavit as to conflicts in his names. “Distinguished Senators, I have sworn affidavit to my name which reads, Daniel Jonah Melaye to Dino Melaye, because Jonah is actually my father’s name.”
He added: “Because I have become popular with Dino over times, I have decided to bear Dino Melaye and you could see that my admission to study Masters degree bears Dino Melaye.” One of the members of the committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide noted that they could see statement of results with an affidavit and not the purported original degree from ABU.
In response, Dino said, he was yet to collect his original certificate, adding that collection of certificates is usually at any body’s convenience. He revealed that he was ready to collect the original certificate within the week.
