It was a rowdy session in the Senate last week as tempers flared and allegations and counter-allegations were freely traded. The cause of the rumpus were the twin allegations by an online media platform that Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi West, did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria as he claimed, and that the Senate was on a vendetta mission against Hameed Ali, Comptroller General (CG) of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), over the seizure of a bullet-proof Range Rover Jeep belonging to Senate President Bukola Saraki.
It was Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno South, who brought up the matter in a point of order.
Ndume, who until his removal as Senate Majority Leader last month was a close ally to Saraki and instrumental to the emergence of the 8th Senate’s leadership, drew the senators attention to a publication alleging that Saraki sanctioned the invitation of Hameed Ali to appear in uniform to throw light on the controversial import duty payment on old vehicles because the NCS impounded his (Saraki’s) jeep on Ali’s orders. He said that the scandals were insulting and embarrassing to the Senate, and requested that the duo of Saraki and Melaye be investigated by the Ethics Committee over the allegations.
“During the 4th Assembly, Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery; he was investigated and determined. In the 5th Assembly, Bello Masari was accused of certificate forgery; it was investigated and was cleared. In the 6th Assembly, Dimeji Bankole was accused of not having NYSC certificate; it was investigated and he had to show his NYSC certificate,” Ndume reminded his colleagues.
The media report had alleged that Saraki had his SUV confiscated by officials of the NCS in January 2017 because he had forged the duty payment document and end-user certificate required for importing the vehicle.
Enraged as expected, Melaye then took Ndume to the cleaners, calling the Borno senator “Boko Haram suspect”, and insisted that he not only graduated from ABU but also has a degree from Harvard University, contrary to the media report.
“I am here to respond to the issue raised by the Boko Haram suspect and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ali Ndume.
“Democracy is about investigation and no senator is above investigation. To me, it is a welcome development and it will finally clear the air on all the malicious and vindictive allegations.
“To say that I did not graduate from ABU is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ABU is a very prestigious university in this country and it is not possible for one to be running a master’s programme in the university when one did not graduate from a university. I have successfully completed one and I am doing the second one.
“I want to announce that this is the eighth degree that I am pursuing. I am also a graduate of University of Abuja, where I did Masters in Policy Analysis. I am a graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science. I am also a graduate of Harvard University. The course I am pursuing now will make it my eighth degree,” Melaye said.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the Senate in the absence of Saraki, subsequently referred the matter to the Ethics Committee and asked it to report its findings to the Senate within four weeks.
Although Saraki is yet to personally respond to the allegation, Yusuph Olaniyonu, his special adviser on Media and Publicity, has, however, denied that his principal had a hand in the vehicle importation.
Olaniyonu said in a statement that the allegations on which Ali Ndume based his point of order that Saraki imported bullet-proof vehicles with fake papers were false.
“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 is an issue between the supplier and the Customs because the Senate has not taken delivery. So, why is somebody trying to drag in the name of Saraki into the issue?” Olaniyonu queried.
“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,” he said.
At the moment, sections of the Nigerian public are of the view that the row between the Senate and Hameed Ali was instigated by the seizure of the imported bullet-proof car by the NCS, while some sections believe that the presidency was behind the travail of both Saraki and Melaye for rejecting Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) and for insisting that the Customs boss must appear in uniform.
The development has further divided the Senate, with many calling for the sanction of Ali Ndume for “taking sides with the Presidency against Senate’s decision”. Ndume had also protested the rejection of Magu as EFCC chair.
But a day before he was expected to appear before the Senate, Hameed Ali addressed a press conference where he said he would not be appearing as summoned to clarify issues bordering on Customs operations across the country, especially on the recent policy regarding vehicle paper.
“The case is in court already. Somebody has sued us. I have gotten my writ of summons and they said status quo ante should remain; which means nothing should be done until the court makes a pronouncement,” the Customs boss told reporters in the State House.
“A private individual sued all of us; he wants an interpretation of the section that is in contention. I don’t want to talk so that I am not held in contempt of court,” he said.
Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, stated in a letter he wrote to the Senate and read by the clerk that Ali would not appear before the Senate and in uniform because a party had gone to court to challenge the process.
He then asked the lawmakers to hands off the case since they were already in court to challenge it and raised the issue of whether the Senate has the powers to oversight the Customs CG or compel him to wear uniforms.
The Senate responded by saying that no court of law can stop it from carrying out its responsibilities in line with the constitution and the Senate Standing Orders 2015, as amended.
But the battle-line appears drawn between the senior lawmakers and the presidency, with the Senate demanding Hameed Ali’s resignation, insisting that he is unfit for the position.
The Senate concluded that Ali’s refusal to show up based on the letter the Clerk of the Senate received from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation directing the lawmakers to leave Ali alone amounted to interference in its duties.
“How can the Attorney-General that we screened in the House tell us how to carry out our duty? This is the first time in the history of black Africa that the Attorney-General is telling the Senate what to do,” said Dino Melaye.
For now, every party to the matter seems to be holding its fire.
NATHANIEL AKHIGBE
