More angers as Senate probes self to shield Saraki, Melaye from allegations of scandal
“It can only happen under the Eight Senate in our country that 109 Senators many of who have either integrity issues or corruption cases hanging on them want to probe themselves and expect Nigerians to believe whatever report comes from that. Can you see that? They want to probe allegations to ascertain if the seizure by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of the N298 million armoured jeep belonging to Senate President Bukola Saraki was responsible for its insistence that the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, must appear before Senators in full uniform. Nigerians are waiting to see which of these Senators will APC return in 2019!”
The Senate on Tuesday resolved to probe allegations that a N298 million armoured jeep seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) belongs to Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The probe would be to ascertain if the seizure was responsible for the Senate’s insistence that the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, must appear before senators in full uniform.
This latest move by the Senate however changed nothing in the already indelible impression that members of the public had developed of the Senators as some Nigerians were asking to know if the same Senators that 100 percent have issues of corruption and crimes either in court or under investigations by EFCC were the people setting up a probe panel to probe themselves when they should allow independent body to do same.
“It can only happen under the Eight Senate in our country that 109 Senators many of who have either integrity issues or corruption cases hanging on them want to probe themselves and expect Nigerians to believe whatever report comes from that. Can you see that? They want to probe allegations to ascertain if the seizure by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of the N298 million armoured jeep belonging to Senate President Bukola Saraki was responsible for its insistence that the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, must appear before Senators in full uniform. Nigerians are waiting to see which of these Senators will APC return in 2019!” One of the respondents said.
An online newspaper had reported that the armoured vehicle, worth N298m, was seized by the Customs on its way from Lagos to Abuja earlier this year, due to non-payment of import duty, amounting to about N72m. The Senate also resolved to probe an allegation that Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi) possesses a fake certificate from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Coming under matters of privileges, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) said the two allegations breached the privileges of senators and that the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions be mandated to investigate the matter. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary referred it to the committee and gave the panel four weeks to report back to the Senate.
Meanwhile, both Saraki and Melaye have denied the allegations.
