BREAKING: Senate Suspends Senator Ndume for Six Months

Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume was on Wednesday suspended for six months by the Senate over  allegations against Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye. Ali was found guilty of not “making due diligence” before filing a petition against the Saraki and Melaye. His suspension was based on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions considered by the lawmakers at the Wednesday plenary session. 

The Senate had asked its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate Ndume’s allegation against  Saraki for alleged importation of bullet-proof car with fake Customs duty certificate and Melaye for certificate forgery. The resolution to launch the investigation followed a motion of privilege by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South). Ndume drew the attention of his colleagues to a publication that Saraki sanctioned the invitation of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to appear in uniform to throw light on the controversial import duty payment on old vehicles because the Service impounded his (Saraki’s) bullet-proof Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle on the orders of Ali. On Melaye, Ndume referred the Senate to a publication by a national newspaper that Melaye did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
 

Ndume told the Senate that an online platform claimed Melaye did not obtain a degree in Geography from ABU, Zaria. The Borno South lawmaker, who prayed the Senate to investigate the issues, noted that there was nothing untoward about investigating the Senate President. He said a former Speaker of the House of Representatives Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery and investigated to clear his name. Ndume added that a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, was also accused of corruption and investigated. He noted that Wabara was also given opportunity to clear his name.
Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, he said, was also accused of certificate forgery and given opportunity to clear his name. He said another presiding officer of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, was also accused and investigated to clear his name. Ndume said: “This matter borders on our privileges. One has to do with Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President and it was reported in a paper; I have it here. The newspaper said the Senate is on vengeance after Nigeria Customs Service seized Senator Saraki’s bullet-proof Range Rover over fake documents.

“My colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen or heard or read the rain of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of the fact that we invited the Customs boss based on a very unpopular policy that affects the people we represent, but now we are faced with this. “During the 4th Assembly, Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery. He was investigated and determined after that. In the 5th Assembly, Bello Masari was accused of certificate forgery (secondary school). He was investigated and was cleared. “In the 6th Senate, Dimeji Bankole was accused of not having NYSC certificate, it was investigated and he showed his NYSC certificate. “Now, that brings me to the second matter in the National Assembly. In the 4th Assembly, Senate President Adolphus Wabara was accused of collecting a bribe and it was investigated and determined. So, a lot of precedence has been set.

“Now, the second matter of privileges affects my colleague Dino Melaye and it is in the paper today? Therefore, accordingly, I will appeal we refer the matter to Ethics and Privileges to investigate so that our colleagues would be cleared and this Senate will stand as it supposed to.” After the plenary, Melaye described the issue Ndume raised about him as a welcome development. The Kogi West senator noted that democracy is about investigation, where no senator is above investigation. He said those bandying the report that he did not graduate from ABU were obsessed with him. He said Nigerians would not be surprised that one day the same people would say he is not a Nigerian. Melaye, however, assured he would submit himself to investigation as a law-abiding citizen of the country.

He added that as a member of the committee saddled with the responsibility to investigate him, he would excuse himself from the committee, unless invited. Melaye, who said he would not be deterred by negative reports about him, noted that he has seven degrees already pursuing the eight one. He said ABU would not allow him to do higher degrees, if he did not have a degree certificate. Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, asked Ndume to lay the documents he has. Ndume submitted some newspaper publications. Ekweremadu referred the two matters to the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. He gave the committee four weeks to report back.

 Source: The Nation

Abia Headmistress Demoted for Embarrassing Ikpeazu’s Wife

The headmistress of a primary school at Amaetiti Asaga Ohafia, in Ohafia Local Government Area, Abia State, Mrs. Maryleen Ezichi, has been reportedly demoted to a classroom teacher for allegedly embarrassing the wife of Abia State governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu. It was gathered that Ezichi has been transferred to the Ukwa-East Local Government Area — about 140 kilometers from her former school — to serve as a deterrent for her ‘impunity and lack of respect for constituted authority’.

The headmistress, it was learnt had, during an interactive session with Ikpeazu’s wife after the inauguration of her free meal programme for primary school pupils in her school, complained that ‘teachers were being owed several months of salary arrears and allowances’. Ezichi was quoted to have told the governor’s wife that teachers had been finding it difficult to meet their financial obligations like the payment of house rents, school fees for their wards, medical bills, transport fares and had pleaded with her to intercede on their behalf.

It was gathered that two days after, the embattled Ezichi was whisked away to Umuahia from the school, where she was handed a letter of deployment and instructed to proceed to the new station immediately. While defending the headmistress, one of her colleagues, who spoke on condition of anonymity, queried the appropriateness of the government’s action, maintaining that if the government felt embarrassed by her appeal it should do the needful. He said, “By the way, of what importance is the meal programme to the pupils in particular and the schools in general? What about other schools in the community? All we are saying is that the government should pay us our entitlements period.” In January, the state’s wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers had embarked on an indefinite strike over their six-month salary arrears, non-payment of leave allowances and non-implementation of their promotions. 

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the state’s NUT, Chizobam Akparanta, stated that he was not aware of the incident, adding that if the teacher complained about it to the union, the NUT would look into it. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Education, Chris Ogbuehi, denied any knowledge of the matter even as he insisted that he was not in the position to speak on such a sensitive matter without the permission of his boss.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Enyinnaya Appolos, said the information made available to him by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Ikechi  Mgbeoji, had it that there was no such incident in the state. He added that the state would investigate the allegation to ascertain what truly happened.

Source: Punch

Defence Minister: Shekau Not Dead, Still Hiding in Sambisa Forest

Despite the fact that the Nigerian Army has boasted severally of killing terrorists sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, the Defence Minister, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), has said he was not dead. According to him, ‎Shekau is still hiding in Sambisa forest in Borno and has been using masks as disguise to evade arrest.

He, however, said the military were not hot on his trail ‎and just like it took the United States of America seven years to capture Osama Bin Laden, Shakau will be captured soon. President Muhammadu Buhari had on ‎December 24,‎ 2016, announced that the Nigerian military had succeeded in liberating Sambisa forest, one of Boko Haram’s hideouts. The Nigerian Army had briefed on how the Boko Haram’s stronghold in Sambisa forest‎ now known as Camp Zairo, was captured. But Shakau in a video posted shortly after had said he and his members were safe and have not been flushed out of anywhere. The Boko Haram leader had urged the government to stop telling lies to the people in the 25-minute video. 

Speaking to State House correspondents after briefing the President on the security situation in the country, Dan-Ali‎ insisted however that the Boko Haram sect has been degraded. He said, “If you have been opportune to go to Sambisa forest you will know that Boko Haram used there. We have dominated the whole stronghold where they use to be, camp zero where their spiritual headquarters use to be was destroyed and is now occupied being by our armed forces. “I believe it’s just a matter of time, it took America about seven to 10 years to get Bin Laden so we will get Shekau as soon as possible”.

Asked why it’s been a problem arresting Shekau, the minister replied, “The spiritual headquarters has been ransacked and vandalized, he (Shekau) is on the run so he may be hiding in one of the enclaves of Sambisa forest which we are dominating, we have opened up the place we are using the place as a training area whereby the army engineers will open roads. We shall be patrolling and be ransacking that forest for the whereabouts of Shekau.” When reminded that the army has claimed to have killed Shekau several times in the past, replied, “Let me tell you categorically, these Insurgents, have a way of putting mask, there could be so many but we are looking for the real one, he has been using mask to portray Shekau in one incidents or the other to give an impression that he has been killed so that we will relax but we will not relax we are on him.” 

Dan-Ali told newsmen that the discussion with President Buhari was centrally on security, adding that he was impressed with the performance of the armed forces so far. He also said the issue of how to return the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes so they can resume normal businesses was also discussed. According to him, ‎”Security situation is something that you cannot get 100 percent and remember that Nigeria has been having these turbulences for a very long time. We are trying to manage it and we are trying to make it solvable whereby every Nigeriam will have peace and tranquillity and do his normal business.”

On Buhari’s ‎directives he said, “The directive is that we should do more. The more we put our efforts the more Nigeria gets safer. We are doing our best and we have also requested for more in terms of equipment and I can categorically tell you that the Nigeria Armed forces have turned to professional armed forces. The last time we had training on small arms competition was almost 11 years ago, so also the sports so you can see we are joining the professionalism with the security challenges that is happening in the country.”

Asked if the federal government will join Borno State in declaring December 22nd celebration day, Dan-Ali said, “It is a local celebration, they have seen the significance of having that camp zero captured because hitherto before they can never be at rest when they are been encircled by insurgents, so with that I believe they have the right to celebrate. Other things are being celebrated in other parts of the country so no problem with that. I believe it anything is wrong with that.” Speaking on resetting IDPs in their homes, Dan-Ali said, “I have gone through the Sambisa forest a lot of villages were empty. We are also thinking of facilitating the process whereby those of them no issues with boko harm will be released to go back to their farming, that will enhance the economic empowerment of the people.”

Source: Metrowatch

BREAKING: Certificate scandal: ABU VC, Prof. Ibrahim Garba confirms Dino Melaye graduated from university

The Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Garba has confirmed that Nigerian Senator, Dino Melaye who bears Daniel Jonah Melaye as that time actually graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with third class in Geography in the year, 2000.

This confirmation follows allegations that the lawmaker forged his degree certificate from the school.
At Monday hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, 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.” 

Meanwhile, 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.

Source: Daily Post