Certificate saga: Sen. Melaye graduated from ABU Zaria – VC confirms

The Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria Prof. Ibrahim Garba, has confirmed that Sen. Dino Melaye graduated from the institution in year 2000. Prof. Garba told the Senate Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions that the Senator graduated with a 3rd class degree in Geography in the third semester of 1998/99. He added however that Sen. Melaye however graduated as Melaye Daniel Jonah and not as Dino Melaye as he is now known. He said his degree was B.A Geography and not BSc Geography. “From the records I know Sen. Dino Melaye, who was formerly known as Jonah Daniel Melaye as former student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and I know him to be the distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “From the records of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria , Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye who was at that time named Daniel Jonah Melaye graduate with a third class degree of the Bachelors of Arts in Geography in the year 2000. And by this he is a graduate of the university. “In my honour I reaffirm that Sen. Dino Melaye graduated as Daniel Jonah Melaye during the third semester of the 1998/1999 academic session with a 3rd Class Degree in Geography, that is Bachelors of Arts in Geography,’’ he said. Following a point of order raised by the former Leader of the Senate Ali Ndume, the Senate directed its committee on Ethics to investigate the alleged certificate scam against Dino. The Committee was also given the go ahead to probe the alleged importation of a bullet proof Range Rover Sports SUV by the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki. At the beginning of the investigation on Monday, Melaye presented his documents to the 8th member committee chaired by Sen. Sam Anyanwu. Some of the documents presented included: Offer of Admission dated September 6, 1994: Letter of Acceptance of admission, and NYSC discharge certificate. He also presented evidence of other post graduate degrees obtained in different institutions but said he could not present his first degree from ABU Zaria as he had not collected the original copy of the certificate. Responding to questions from the committee, Sen. Dino Melaye(APC-Kogi) said the allegation that he did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University was untrue. He said he had all evidences to show that he was a proud graduate of the school and currently a student in the school undergoing a Masters Degree programme. “I thank you for the invitation and I want to state my unequivocal confidence in this committee to do justice to this matter. “I have few documents I would also want to tender to the committee and before I do that I also want to state with every sense of responsibility that I am a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. “I gained admission with an offer of admission on the 6th of September, 1994 and the admission is to study Bachelor of Arts Geography and a copy of that admission letter will be tendered. “I also have a second document to tender, my acceptance offer by the university. I also have the third document to tender which is my result from the Ahmadu Bello University certifying me a graduate of the school. “I also have here a document for my registration that I tendered where I have C5 in CRS, A3 in Agric, C6 in Economics, C6 in Geography, C6 in Biology and a credit in English. “I will also tender that as evidence. I also want to tender—. After my graduation for the Ahmadu Bello University, the school sent my name to the NYSC for the mandatory Service and I participated in the one year NYSC. “I served in Police College Kaduna and by the grace of God, that year I won the National Prize of the DG and it is on record and verifiable and I beg to tender my discharge certificate from NYSC,’’ he said. The lawmaker added that with the desire to further his education, he applied to the school to send his transcript to University of Jos where he studied Law, Security and Conflict Management. He stressed that he also applied to the school to send his transcript to University of Abuja where gained admission to study Masters in Policy Analysis. On allegations that he bore several names at different time, Melaye said “When I went back to Ahmadu Bello University again to study Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy but because I am already known all over as Dino Melaye. “My name as an undergraduate was Daniel Jonah Melaye. Jonah is actually my father’s name, so that is what I have on my university certificate. “But Because I am now popularly known as Dino I applied to the court and asked that I needed an affidavit for change of name before my admission and I submitted it to ABU. “I will tender my identity cards and I came here with a copy of my final year project duly signed by my head of department in the Faculty of Arts as it was then called, ‘’ he said. Meanwhile, Sen. Ndume who was absent at the beginning of the hearing arrived after the committee had permitted the VC and Senator Melaye to leave. Sen. Ndume however stressed that he did not write any petition against any of the senators but only raised a point of order with the intention of clearing the senators from the alleged wrongdoings. According to him, he only raised a Point of Order following publications alleging certificate forgery against Melaye, adding that “I didn’t raise petition, I only raised point order 14 and 15.’’ At the end of the interrogation, Ndume said his doubt about the allegation had been cleared since Melaye presented documents to show he actually graduated from the school. He also said the attestation of the ABU V.C further cleared his doubt. “I commend the way the chairman of the committee conducted the proceedings of this investigation. “I did not petition against Melaye. I only felt it is part of my responsibility as former leader and someone, who has been in the National Assembly since 2003 to ensure the right thing was done to protect the image of the institution. “With these evidences, the judgment is now that of the public,’’ he said. Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Sam Anyanywu, said there was an allegation based on privileged information gotten by the Sen. Ali Ndume(APC-Borno) that Sen. Melaye was not a graduate of ABU as he claimed. He added that the allegation was centred on certificate forgery . “What is the issue is that you(Melaye) did not have first degree and you have been able to tender documents that we will go through. “We will call the VC to either collaborate or deny your submissions,’’ he said