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Tag: Dino Melaye

  • Adeyemi vs Dino : Tribunal fixes Sept. 8 for hearing

    Adeyemi vs Dino : Tribunal fixes Sept. 8 for hearing

    The election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja on Saturday fixed Sept. 8, for the hearing of a petition filed by Sen. Smart Adeyemi against the election of Sen. Dino Melaye.

    The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Akon Ikpeme fixed the date while closing pre-hearing in the petition challenging the election of Melaye as the senator representing Kogi West senatorial district.

    Before closing the pre-hearing session, the tribunal also granted Adeyemi’ s prayers to call additional witnesses and admitted the report of the recounted ballot papers in 21 polling units.

    The petitioner’s prayer for determination of the primary election of the 1st and 2nd respondents was also granted by the tribunal.

    In addition, the tribunal also granted the request of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw its amended motion of reply to the petition filed by Adeyemi on April 3.

    The INEC ‘s oral application to strike out some paragraphs in its motion was similarly granted by the tribunal.

    However, in fixing the date for the hearing of petition proper, Ikpem ruled that Adeyemi , INEC and Melaye would only be allowed two days to open and close their cases.

    She also ruled that 30 minutes would be given for cross-examination of witnesses; 10 minutes for cross-examination of other counsel’s witnesses while all documents must be filled before Sept. 7 and shown to other counsels involved.

    However, the 2nd respondent (APC), was granted 20 minutes for cross-examination, 30 minutes for examination of expert witnesses and 10 minutes for cross-examination of other counsel’s witnesses.

    Adeyemi is challenging the election of March 28, which brought Melaye as the senator representing the Kogi West senatorial district on grounds of irregularities in the results of the election.

    He is also asking the tribunal to disqualify Melaye for being improperly nominated as a candidate for the election by the APC.

    In addition, Adeyemi wants the tribunal to declare him the winner or order fresh elections in the disputed polling.

  • Dino Melaye: What manner of Senator?

    SIR: I voted for change to rescue my dear nation from the hands of PDP and its 15 years of misrule and bad governance. We saw Muhammadu Buhari as the messiah that will lead this blessed country and its people to the promised land. As a result, some disgruntled, corrupt evil-minded politicians also hid under the name of ‘change’ and Buhari to win elections. My

    My senator, Dino Melaye was among the politicians who used the name of Buhari to win election. We know how he emerged victorious through the efforts of the people of Lokoja/Koton-karfe, chanting the APC change slogan even as his Okun people rejected him.

    Dino Melaye has disappointed our people with his infamous new role as a bodyguard to Bukola Saraki’s wife. We didn’t vote for Dino to serve the interest of a woman under investigation on corruption. He should apologize to our people or we are going to use the same votes to remove him any time!

     

    • Abdullateef Tanko,

    nayashit @yahoo.com

  • Senate rejects motion to bring back tollgates

    Senate rejects motion to bring back tollgates

    The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion to reintroduce tollgates on all constructed and motorable roads in the country.

    The upper chamber, however, urged the Federal Government to undertake immediate rehabilitation and dualisation of major highways and interstate roads across the country.

    It also asked the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently explore additional ways to fund federal road rehabilitation projects in the country.

    It mandated its ad-hoc Committee on Works to embark on audit of all road projects in Nigeria with a view to producing raw data for further necessary legislative action.

    The Senate underscored the need to find lasting solution to road problems in the country in view of its attendant negative impact on trade and commerce.

    The resolutions of the Senate followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye and co-sponsored by 90 others.

    In his lead debate, Melaye lamented that several trillions of naira had been spent on road re-construction and rehabilitation in the country since the return to democracy with minimal or no impact at all.

    Senator Samuel Egwu (Ebonyi North) who supported the motion said there was no better time to reconstruct all federal roads in the country than now that Nigeria is working towards diversification of the economy.

    Egwu noted that federal roads in the South East in particular had been in bad shape since the civil war in despite the contributions of those from the region to the growth of the economy.

    He said, “The roads in the South East, particularly in Ebonyi State are death traps.

    “Ebonyi  State is one of the hubs of agriculture but the roads are in bad shape and that has made movement of goods and services  to other parts of the country very difficult.’’

     

  • Why I visited EFCC – Melaye

    Why I visited EFCC – Melaye

    The Senator Representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the upper legislative chamber, Dino Melaye, has defended his recent visit to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The Senator was sighted at the EFCC office during the interrogation of wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki, by the anti-graft agency.

    Melaye in a statement entitled: “Stand Up For What You Believe In,” and issued on Friday in Abuja, said he has made sacrifices for the country and had survived assignation attempts.

    He said,” I was arrested 14 times in one year by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan because I desire a country where my grandchildren (that I may never know) will dwell in and where life is already structured for them. I cannot throw away the sacrifice – when I was beaten and my clothes torn to shred on the floor of the House of Representatives because of my fight against corruption.

    “I have come too far to compromise my stand on corruption and corrupt persons. I make bold here to challenge anybody who will controvert the truth that I have never done any government contract, either at the local government, state or federal levels. It is not criminal to do so, but he who must come to equity must come with clean hands. I have made sacrifices to the extent of escaping assignations. Will my fellow citizens forget all these too quickly on the altar of loyalty to friends, family and loved ones?

    My loyalty to friends is not only when the going is good. I will be there even when the roads are rough. The invitation of Mrs. Toyin Saraki by the EFCC, however, is not a criminal indictment. I will not abandon my friend because of mere EFCC invitation. I also went there as a private investigator and an anti-corruption crusader to find out the extent of culpability of my sister and friend since she was not told the content of the petition against her before her appearance before the EFCC.

    “My definition for friendship is he or she who walks in when others are working out. If my father is invited by the EFCC, I will go there, if a prima face case is established against him, I will shout for his prosecution. So my great people, I have no regret following my friend and sister to the EFCC. If you are my friend, you are my friend. I cannot control what my friends will do, but they remain my friends. I am not fighting corruption out of passion only, but because it is the Godly thing to do.”

     

  • Group to FG: Revisit Halliburton, Malabo, Siemens scandals

    A Civil Society Organisation under the auspices of the Citizens Arise Movement of Nigeria has given the Federal Government a 21 -day ultimatum to revisit the Halliburton, Malabo and Siemens scandal or face a mass protest across the country.

    Addressing journalist after a protest march at the a Eagle Square, Abuja, on Tuesday, the leader of the group, Dino Melaye said government should immediately declare the production and sales capacity of the nation’s crude oil per day.

    The protesters carried placard with various inscriptions such as: “Terrorism has no political party, save us, stop insurgency now,”  “Goodluck stop secret meeting with Boko Haram,” Malabo oil deal and subsidy thieves, “ “Rescue our Chibok girls now “ and “Enough of corruption,” among others.

    Melaye also asked the government to be transparent in the production and sale of the nation’s crude oil and wage total war on illegal oil bunkering and refineries.

    The former member of the House of Representatives urged the government to adequately mobilise and encourage the military to go full blast and defend the nation against insurgency and recapture very inch of Nigerian territory occupied by the insurgents.

    He said further the federal government should do everything possible to ensure that the abducted school girls are reunited with their families, while demonstrating total commitment to free, fair and credible in 2015.

  • Chibok girls: Jonathan’s speech belated, says Melaye

    Chibok girls: Jonathan’s speech belated, says Melaye

    A former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech on rescue efforts for the abducted over 200 Chibok school is belated and pathetic.

    He said it was unfortunate it took over 40 days before the president could think of pulling resources together to rescue the girls.

    He spoke at the symposium organised by the #Bringbackourgirls protesters with the theme: Citizens, accountability and democracy.

    Melaye said: “His comment is not only belated but has demonstrated a high degree of insensitivity towards the missing girls.

    “To start with, the response of the federal government towards this satanic manifestation of Boko Haram came 19 days after the abduction.

    “It is laughable, myopic and porous. It does not show seriousness. For the president to make a comment forty- something days after giving powers to the military to go after the abductors is very laughable; it is a shame.”

    He went on:  “We have resulted to celestial means of bringing these girls back and that is why we are here. That is why we are praying and doing what we are doing.”

    On the attack against the group, the human right activist said: “The truth of the matter is it is a style of this government to confront violently any opinion that will expose their inadequacies.

    “What government did by hiring thugs on defenceless, harmless Nigerians is not new. The same methodology was applied during the Occupy Nigeria protest in 2012. So, it is already a known strategy.

    “What they want to do is weaken this group. To stop the media attention that #bringbackourgirls is generating. But honestly speaking, we are not discouraged or intimidated.

    “Their action has only strengthened us because the battle to bring back this girls is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.

    “We are not afraid of anything and we cannot be afraid of anything. We shall not be intimidated or cajoled. For me personally, I have overcome fear.”

     

  • Court strikes out AGF’s N10.2b libel suit against Dino Melaye

    Court strikes out AGF’s N10.2b libel suit against Dino Melaye

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has struck out a libel suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) against former House of Representatives Member, Dino Melaye.

    Adoke had in t suit, accused Melaye of defaming him and prayed the court for among others N10.2 billion damages.

    The court struck out the suit on Wednesday upon an application for withdrawal filed the AGF.

    While moving the application for withdrawal before Justice Olasimbo Goodluck , Adoke’s lawyer, Zekeri Garuba was silent on the reason behind his client’s sudden change of mind.

    He said he was only instructed by his client to withdraw the case and applied that it be struck out.

    Defence lawyer, Moses Ideh did not object to the plaintiff’s application.

    The judge subsequently struck the case out on the ground that the defendant did not object to it being struck out.

    Adoke had in May sued the Registered Trustees of Anti-corruption Network (ACN), where Melaye serves as the Executive Secretary), claiming among others, to have been defamed in some claims made about him by the group in its petition to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The AGF particularly accused Melaye of damaging his reputation in a publication of April 12 where he accused him (Adoke) of corrupt practices, obstruction of justice for corrupt elements and abuse of power as minister of justice.

    Melaye had, in the petition he authored for his group, raised seven allegations bordering on abuse of office against Adoke, including the controversial cases on the N150 billion recovered fromformer Oceanic Bank Managing Director, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, the $180 million Halliburton scandal and the return of the Vaswani brothers to Nigeria after an alleged N2.5 billion tax evasion.

    He also alleged that the AGF raised a memo on the case of the Vaswani brothers who were deported for a second time in April 2009 for an alleged N2.5 billion tax evasion that they should be allowed to return to Nigeria.

    Melaye further accused the minister of dereliction of duty by not re-filing the dismissal by Justice Archibong of the Federal High Court of the N10 billion money laundering charge preferred against a former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, on the grounds of shoddy prosecution.

    Adoke argued that the words used in the publication by the Melaye-led ACN conveyed the impression that he was a dishonourable person, who associated with criminals and economic saboteurs.

    He said because of the false and defamatory publication, his hard-earned reputation, character and achievements had been severely tarnished.

  • APC ‘ll save Nigeria, says Melaye

    APC ‘ll save Nigeria, says Melaye

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has said the party will save the country with effective leadership when it forms the central government in 2015.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, the former House of Representatives member said APC is a party of progressives, which anchors its ideology on people’s welfare.

    He said there was pressure on him to run for the Senate in 2015.

    Melaye, who represented Kabba/Bunu Federal constituency of Kogi State in the sixth National Assembly, said he would respond to the clarion call of his people to reposition Kogi West senatorial district.

    He said: “The onus lies on APC to take the people out of the wood as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is celebrating her political Obituary.”

    He stressed that the people of Kogi State were determined to enjoy the dividends of democracy which have eluded them.

    “By the special grace of God, come 2015, the opposition will demonstrate that power belong to the people. The structure we have is the masses and the masses of this country more than ever before will demonstrate that power truly belong to them.”

    “And for the first time it will be government of the people for the people and by the people because what we have now is the reverse, where some individuals use public office to corrupt and enrich themselves,” he said.

    Melaye commended President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he salute his courage, though his actions were belated, urged him to make the exercise wholesome by sacking other erring members of the his cabinet living larger than life and have been indicted for corruption.

    He said there is a convention in the country which established that once someone is indicted of corruption, such public servant has to be removed, adding that this development dates back to the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who sack his erring cabinet members.

     

  • I’m vindicated, says Dino Melaye

    I’m vindicated, says Dino Melaye

    The Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption Network, Dino Melaye, yesterday described the sacking of some ministers by President Goodluck Jonathan as a vindication of his anti-corruption crusade.

    Melaye, in a statement in Abuja, vowed that his group would institute criminal proceedings against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe and his former counterpart in the Ministry of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.

    He insisted that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, ought to have been sacked.

    “I am vindicated. Power truly belongs to the people,” Melaye said, adding, “When we protested against two of these ex-ministers, many abused us; but today we are happy.

    “We salute the courage of Mr. President, although he delayed too much because they ought to have been fired before now.

    “We submitted a report indicting the three ministers to the United States last year.

    “Stella Oduah, Godsday Orubebe and Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke. Deziani too must go. The President must take hard decisions in the interest of Nigerians.

    “Now that they have been sacked, we will institute criminal charges against Orubebe and Oduah. The voice of the people is the voice of God.”

  • Alero Falope hooks Dino Melaye

    Alero Falope hooks Dino Melaye

    IT is no longer news that all is not well with the marriage of Dino Melaye and his estranged wife,Tokunbo. The gist in town now is that Alero Falope,a mother of one and a niece to senator Daisy Danjuma, is the new woman in the life of the Kogi State-born former lawmaker.

    Melaye and Alero, sources said, have been dating for the past four years and in the course of the week, the lovebirds had a quiet traditional wedding in Ibadan where Alero is based.

    Late last year,Tokunbo,the wife of the former Kogi State-born House of Reps member, Dino Melaye, had filed for divorce.

    The 10-year-old marriage which produced three children is collapsing based on issues that border on domestic violence and alleged infidelity.