Garba had on Monday appeared before the senate committee on ethics probing the allegation against Melaye, the senator representing Kogi west.
“From the records, distinguished senator Dino Melaye graduated as Daniel Jonah Melaye during the 3rd semester with a 3rd class degree,” he said.
But in his reaction, Sowore has stood by his story.
He queried how it is possible to graduate without passing a compulsory course — “Geog 307 (Long Field Trip)”.
Sowore wrote: “Folks: Let me quickly react to the farcical and highly tactical and well-choreographed declaration by the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Ibrahim Garba while he was appearing before the Nigerian Senate earlier today. Prof. Garba claimed that Senator Dino Melaye “graduated” according to “available records.”
We knew and tweeted since last week that the VC rushed to the Geography Department to ask for records, and when he was told that the full records of the Department could not sustain a public claim that Melaye graduated, he cherry picked the 400 Level “3rd Semester” results.
In that results (record), Dino (formerly known as Daniel Jonah Melaye) and his former HOD David Okoro Ogbonna connived to get him graduated (discharged) after “clearing” carry overs courses he never wrote. Those were Mr. VC’s “available records” to make his declaration before the Nigerian Senate today.
However, the authentic records in our possession shows that Melaye couldn’t have graduated, he did not fulfill some core course requirements of which, for example, “Geog 307 (Long Field Trip)” handled by one Dr. Bello had to be met. I studied Geography and Planning at UNILAG, it was a compulsory course, and my colleagues and I did ours in Benue State.
Daniel Jonah Melaye never fulfilled this core requirement, and further, several other carryovers were directly fixed for him by Ogbonna and some unscrupulous lecturers.
What the crooked Nigerian Senate want our citizens to celebrate today is that it is appropriate to cheat, lie and bully public resolve with dishonest and concocted parliamentary processes.
What is in the public domain today is that “Dino” claimed he acquired 8 degrees including from Harvard and London School Economics. Those claims have been knocked off forever, as for the rest of his crooked degrees, the search for the truth continues until “moral philosophy” is attained. Thank you!”
Meanwhile the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Professor Ibrahim Garba told the Senate Monday that Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West graduated from the Institution in 2000.
Speaking when he appeared before the Senator Samuel Anyanwu, PDP, Imo East led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Professor Garba told the Senators that Senator Melaye graduated ABU with a third class degree in Bachelor of Arts( Honours) in Geography.
According to the Vice Chancellor, Senator Melaye was a student of ABU with the name Jonah Daniel Melaye. Professor Garba who had sat in room 120 where the hearing took place was excused out at 1.21 before Melaye spoke. The Vice Chancellor later came in at 1.40pm, swore to an oath at 1.41pm, then he was asked questions on whether Melaye graduated from the institution.
The Committee had on Thursday last week written and summoned the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Garba to appear before it today to explain his side of the story regarding the alleged certificate scandal levelled against Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West that he did not graduate from the institution.
It would be recalled that the Senate on Tuesday last week, commenced an investigation into allegation that Senate President Bukola Saraki went on a vengeance mission against Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali after the agency impounded a bulletproof SUV valued at N298 million imported into the country by him because of his alleged refusal to pay the Customs duty of N74 million that was expected to be paid on the car.
The Senate is also probing the alleged certificate scandal levelled against Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West that he did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over Tuesday’s plenary session, referred the two issues to the Senator Samuel Anyanwu, PDP, Imo East led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for thorough investigation, with four weeks to report back. Ekweremadu had said, “The matter is referred to the committee on Ethics and Privileges and to report back in four weeks.”
The resolution of the Senate Tuesday followed a point of order raised by the immediate past Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South. Senator Ndume in his presentation said that as a tradition of the National Assembly where allegations were raised against principal officers and members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with such cases referred to various Committees and investigated, the 8th Senate must emulate its predecessors by investigating Saraki and Melaye, adding that in the spirit of transparency, orders 14 and 15 of the senate standing rules be adhered to.