Melaye breaks silence, says I’ve bounced back

*Then his indefinitely adjourned trials can now kick off – Respondent

After weeks of keeping mum, embattled Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi) has broken the silence saying he has bounced back.

In a message tagged, “THANK YOU NIGERIANS” he posted via WhatsApp, the lawmaker, who found it difficult to face arrested criminals who said he supplied them with weapons and money to destabilise Kogi State, reportedly said he would continue to speak the truth.

It reads, “Someone once said that rock bottom is good solid ground and a dead-end street is just a place to turn around. In the last few weeks, I have been taken to the good solid ground at the rock bottom and they couldn’t go further. I have been brought to the dead-end street but with you standing by my side, I have turned around and bounced back to the chagrin of those who sought to seal my lips from speaking out against tyranny, politics of oppression and blackmail.

“They, unleashed an endless barrage of physical, psychological, metaphysical and emotional torture and assault on me, but, through the power of the Most High, and you the good people of Nigeria, we have once again, seen the triumph of truth over lies and good over evil.

“It was Edmund Burke who was quoted as saying that when bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one…. In a contemptible struggle. I am of all men, a blessed man, to have courageous and dependable people like you as my fellow soldiers in the struggle to free us from the shackles of political strongholds and tyranny. It is to you and my most wonderful and ever knowledgeable people of Kogi State, especially Kogi West, that I owe my deepest gratitude. You stood by me against the state and your own ‘best political self-interest’.

“The state unleashed its raw power on me and released a 200 man-strong fully armed policemen – on a man without a knife nor a bullet. It did this because I called injustice by its name and called for accountability. For this they sought to break my spirit and destroy me permanently.

”In their moment of reign, I was fully shackled. With my hands tied to my back, and hurled into a dark solitary confinement waiting for the butchers knife, you, my people stood by me. You came against a raging fire and stood up against tyranny, lies, filthy lucre, injustice, persecution and greed.”

On the failed move to recall him, Melaye said, “While in the dark and unable to fight for myself, they sought to take my mandate, which you had freely given to me. But you answered back and quenched deceit in its wake. You stood resolute and unflinching and defended your mandate to me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In their attempt to break me, they have made me stronger.

“To you my indefatigable leaders; my irremovable President of the Senate, a man of immeasurable vision for Nigeria and true fighter for the enthronement of true democracy and the rule of law, Sen. (Dr.) Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“The fearless Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, I thank you both for your steadfastness in the defence of the Nigerian Constitution and the enthronement of the Rule of Law, justice and equity and the emasculation of anti-democratic forces and tyranny everywhere in Nigeria. I am eternally grateful to you.

“To the entire National Assembly Membership, especially my colleagues in the Senate, I am eternally indebted to you for not playing politics but standing courageously against oppression and terror. You have shown yourself leaders on whom Nigeria’s hope for tomorrow can be assured.”

Reaffirming his position, he said “To my people, I promise you this and this only. I have taken my position, I will not hold back, I will not hold my peace, I will not be shut down, neither will I shut-up, not as long as injustice and falsehood continues to reign, as long as I will live, I will not bow to Baal.”

In the meantime, a respondent had told The DEFENDER that since Melaye’s trial on “false information” was indefinitely adjourned by court over the reason to enable him recover his health situation he sustained following his jumping out of police vehicle, “now that he is back and he has said it by himself no longer hospital medical report, he can be taken back to the accused box and face his various trials.”