ABU VC should have rejected Senate’s invitation over Dino Melaye’s academic status – CACOL

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has said the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Prof Ibrahim Garba, should have rejected the invitation made to him by the Senate to appear before its committee to prove the academic status of Senator Dino Melaye.

According to the group, “Garba’s appearance exposed the level of rot in our education system and corroborates the school of thought which says that many of our institutions have commoditized certification which is responsible for the qualities of graduates that are churned out periodically.”

The group said Melaye’s certificate forgery allegations put him on the same scale as Senate President, Bukola Saraki, whom it had hitherto rated low morally.CACOL stated this in a statement signed and issued by its Executive Chairman‎, Debo Adeniran, on Thursday.

While describing Melaye’s reaction to the confirmation of his graduate status by ABU VC as ‘tomfoolery’, CACOL said it portrayed lack of self-confidence in his inherent abilities and the false need to parade himself as what one is not.

The group noted that Melaye’s certificate saga only showed that in Nigeria, as a country, it was wrong to predicate the election of persons on certificates over meritocracy.

“The saga has also shown that, as country, it is wrong to predicate the election of persons on certificates over meritocracy. This is one of the fundamental things that lead desperate politicians to forge certificates because of their aspirations. Certificates have never proven to be the best test of ability when it comes to leadership, so as a country, we seem to have gotten it wrong from the beginning.The statement reads: “Dino’s certificate saga has further exposed the level of rot in our education system given the drama where a Vice Chancellor had to join the trago-comedy of the Senate by appearing in a session to proof the academic status of a former student. It corroborates the school of thought which says that many of our institutions have commoditized certification which is responsible for the qualities of graduates that are churned out periodically.

“As for Dino Melaye and his trending disgusting show of shame over the certificate forgery allegations, it is clear that he belongs to the same box with Saraki on the scales of integrity, self-esteem, self-respect and morality.

“The facts that are already in public domain on his academic qualifications from different institutions including the prestigious Harvard Law School, in New York, London School of Economics and Nigerian institutions are glaringly in sharp contradictions with Dino Melaye’s claims.

“It shows lack of self-confidence in one’s inherent abilities and the false need to parade oneself as what one is not. It is moral bankruptcy. An honest person would not lie about educational qualifications no matter what. To even know that the constitution does not compel anybody to have a degree before being eligible to contest for elective positions and some people still prefer to forge certificates speaks volumes about the character of whoever commits such acts.“His reactions so far has been nothing sensible, they only betray boldly the extent of tomfoolery a so-called Senator of the Federal Republic can engage in, particularly when a matter of honour is in question!

“No one needs not to be told that anyone capable of forging a certificate to get to office is extremely likely to perpetrate corruption if elected into office. This is one of what is responsible for the rampant corrupt and sharp practices we witness in the public and elected offices on daily basis.”

“It is important to point out too that, a country that cannot guarantee free education for its populace lacks the moral basis or right to deny the people of access to leadership because position they do not possess certificates; it is unjust and it represents exclusivity. And the truth is that there are a lot of Nigerians who qualify to be in leadership positions over many who have the best of certificates. In fact, the certificated ones seem to have performed more brilliantly in terms of the perpetration of corruption.”

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Magu slams N5bn suit on Sun Newspaper over alleged Abuja mansions

Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked publisher of the Sun Newspaper in Abuja to pay him N5 billion naira damages over a report concerning ownership of mansions in Abuja.

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC Head of Media in a statement Thursday said Magu was seeking the compensation for libelous imputations and statements made against him in a story published on the March 25, 2017 edition of the Saturday Sun.

It said the publication was captioned “Magu Under Fresh Probe over 2 Abuja Mansions”.

Magu’s solicitor, Wahab Shittu, in the letter complained that the authors – Fred Itua, James Ojo and Lawrene Enyoghasu, “wilfully and maliciously made false, destructive, and defamatory statements”.

Magu said that the writers of the report maliciously alleged that Magu owned “two mansions on different streets in highbrow Maitama area of Abuja.

“This is a case which they could not substantiate, and which in fact was false, and nothing but the figments of their imaginations”.

Magu, in addition to the demand for N5 billion compensation, wants the publishers to issue a public apology and immediate retraction in writing of these false libelous statements, within the next seven days.Magu further reiterated that neither himself nor his wife owned any property in Maitama.

Magu also demanded that it must be published on the front page of the newspaper.

”Failure of which, legal remedies including monetary damages, injunctive reliefs, and an order that you pay necessary costs including solicitor’s fees for your defamation will be taken”, the letter reads.

It added that the publishers were also to provide “written assurance within seven days, that they would cease and desist from further defamation” of Magu’s name, integrity, and reputation

.

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You lied, no proofs you are constructing Benue roads – Ortom blasts Wike

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has described claims by his Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike of constructing the Aliade-Onu-Obarike-Ito-Otukpo and Makurdi-Naka-Adoka roads as a tissue of lies.

Ortom made the remark while reacting to claim by his Rivers State counterpart that he is constructing some roads in Benue State.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, and ICT, Tahav Agerzua, the governor said there was no proof that Wike had such plan.

The statement reads, “We read reports in a few national dailies on March 30, attributed to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that there were plans to disrupt his road projects in Benue State. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Benue State does not lack road projects under the Ortom administration, which has mobilised contractors back to site on 11 roads abandoned by Governor Wike’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, regime in the state.

“In spite of the recession, Governor Ortom is also constructing two major highways and 17 rural roads across the state, while contracts have been awarded for six other highways.

“There is no evidence that he did that.”“Governor Wike’s claim was ridiculous because Benue State is not part of his state and even if he had constructed all his roads, he needed to have contacted stakeholders in Benue State, especially those from the benefitting communities.

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Buhari submits names of Abia, Imo, Ondo NDDC nominees to Senate

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate, requesting confirmation of new nominees for the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Senate President Bukola Saraki read the letter during plenary on Thursday.

They are to replace those earlier rejected after investigations by the Senate.The nominees are Lucky Omirisan from Ondo State, Hon. Chuka from Imo State and Mr Nwogu N. Nwogu from Abia State.

Meanwhile, Senate has passed amendments to the Electoral Act 2010, approving the use of electronic voting in future elections.

It also approved that election results should be electronically transmitted to collation centers.

The passage of bill followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on a Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 and for other related matters (SB 231 and SB 234).

The new bill include provision for the use of electronic voting by INEC during future elections, use of Card Reader and also gives INEC power to modify the voting process if there is a challenge.

The Senate also approved a provision to enable INEC transmit the result of elections electronically in an encrypted and secured manner to prevent hacking.

The amended Electoral Act provides that if a candidate dies before results of elections are declared, the results will not only remain valid but belongs to the political party that lost its candidate.

The Bill also gives political parties power to adopt direct or indirect primaries in choosing their flag bearers, while qualification of disqualification of candidates for elections will be solely based on the Constitution.It also added that in such a scenario, the INEC should suspend the elections for 21 days during which period the affected political party will conduct fresh primaries to choose a new candidate.

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