- As Ezekwesili Lambasts Senate
The Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Mr. Debo Adeniran has scolded the Senate for attempting to support the embattled Senator Dino Melaye against the recall process initiated by his constituents.
The anti-corruption campaigner who spoke exclusively to The New Diplomat likened the senate to the house of scandal which according to him makes it difficult for the Senate to cleanse itself of corrupt members.
“When you look at the Senate generally, it’s like a house of scandal, being led by the chief Scandamania in person of Bukola Saraki who has been oscillating between criminal witness boxes in different Court, despite the exalted position of a Senate President. The Senate cannot be asked to sanitize itself because the image of the leadership of the Senate has been thoroughly soiled in the mud of corruption and other malfeasance.
Adeniran speaking further said, “Basically, the Senate is like the house of prodigal sons.
“They don’t see anything wrong with similar acts and instead of them to promulgate law that will fight corruption, they have further entrenched criminality in the system.
Reacting further to a leaked tape where Dino Melaye was caught bargaining with Justice Akon Ikpeme, the tribunal judge who handled the 2015 election case involving him and Senator Smart Adeyemi, Adeniran said, “the judge was said to have confirmed it, but Dino has denied it, even if the judge confess that, it was her voice.
“It presupposes that bribery could have taken place while judgement was going on with promise to facilitate the employment of her daughter. All of that is still in the realm of allegations. But then, allegations has implications on someone’s personality and no less than a controversial senator like Dino Melaye.”
Recall, in the leaked tape, which captures a telephone conversation between Justice (Mrs) Akoh and Melaye, the judge was overheard asking Melaye to give her a bribe in US dollars. She also asks Melaye to assist a person Dino repeatedly referred to as her “daughter” secure a job at the Cross Rivers State Ministry of Health.
According to Adeniran, asides the ongoing process to recall Melaye, Senator Adeyemi could also lay fresh allegations to the election to claim his mandate.
“He can do a fresh petition to the Attorney General and ministry of justice. If truly it’s true that a judge is found to be involved in such scandal the judge will loose her license, while Dino will have his day in court too.”
similarly, a former Minister of Education and Co-Convener, BBOG, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, has rebuked the Senate President Bukola Saraki for telling Nigerians that recalling Dino Melaye from the Senate was “a waste of time.”
Ezekwesili replied Saraki in series of tweets where she said that it was irresponsible for him to speak down on the efforts of the citizens.
“No serious leader of any institution of Democracy in a serious country that respects its citizens speaks like you. Many of us have no dog in the Kogi recall fight. BUT , it is a DEMOCRATIC PROVISION . Don ’t talk down on Citizens,” she tweeted at her handle @obyezeks.
