Saraki’s emergence as Senate President not facilitated by oil barons – Dino Melaye

Chairmen of the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari and the national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun for accepting the outcome of the national assembly leadership election.

Also Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial district has described as totally malicious and false, the report that Senator Bukola Saraki’s emergence as President of the Senate was facilitated by oil barons.

Rising from a meeting under the auspices of the Forum of APC States chairmen with Oyegun yesterday in Abuja, the chairmen said despite the “disappointments”, they were happy that the APC’s leaders accepted the outcome of the election that brought Senator Bukola Saraki and Rep. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Dino Melaye

In a communique issued and signed by the chairman of the Kano State APC and Acting Chairman of the Forum, Umar Mohammed at the end of their meeting which bordered on the review of the 2015 general elections, the chairmen said: “We totally aligned ourselves with the President’s position regarding the leadership of the National Assembly.”

The visiting chairmen also pleaded with the national chairman to release funds for them to effectively run the affairs.

They said: “Chairman, we acknowledge the enormity of the responsibilities placed on the office of the chairman and as such we urge you to brace up and be alive to the challenges so as to move the party forward.

“You should always see us as partners in progress and your foot soldiers as we pray for more success in future.”

Meanwhile, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial district has described as totally malicious and false,the report that Senator Bukola Saraki’s emergence as President of the Senate was facilitated by oil barons.

Senator Melaye, who was reacting to an article in a national newspaper (not Vanguard) where it was alleged that the election of Saraki as the President of the 8th Senate was facilitated by Nigerians associated with dubious claims in the infamous oil subsidy, stressed that the allegation was akin to calling the dog a bad name so as to hang it and another blatant lies that can not fly.

In a statement entitled: “Lies from pit of hell,” Melaye noted that there was no way Senator Saraki would have emerged Senate President courtesy of oil barons when the he ( Saraki) had on the floor of the Senate led his colleagues to expose the rot.

Melaye said: “We make bold to state that in the 7th Assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki was Chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee which exposed the fraud and mismanagement in the oil sector. Until Saraki’s motion on the floor of the Senate, no one was in the picture of the rot in the sector. Therefore, surely, Senator Saraki will be the last person the oil baron will want to see as Senate President.”

“In that position, Saraki did not only lead his colleagues in exposing the rot in the scheme, but made very strong recommendations on how the system could be reformed and made corrupt- free.

“Further to this, during the Senate hearing on the missing $20 Billion, for those who attended the public hearing, Senator Saraki led the onslaught of difficult questions to both the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum and other federal agencies despite being in the ruling party then.

“To this effect, Senator Saraki refused to sign the final copy of the committee’s report but rather put forward a minority report with a press statement that follow suit. Saraki went further to oppose the inclusion of kerosine subsidy in the 2015 budget as well as his opposition to Petroleum Swop deal by NNPC.

“Let it be known therefore that the Senate Presidency of Dr. Bukola Saraki would not in any way be a stumbling block against President Buhari’s posture against anti corruption. Rather, the 8th Senate under him as the President would give all necessary legislative support to the administration to fight and reduce corruption as his previous actions and bold step taken against the so called oil barons indicates that Saraki is committed to anti corruption.

“For avoidance of doubt, we want to make it abundantly clear that it is totally false, untrue and calculated mischief to suggest that Senator Saraki’s emergence as Senate President was facilitated by oil barons. This is a case of calling the dog a bad name so as to hang it. Another blatant lies that can not fly.

“Senator BukolaSaraki is determined and focused to achieve the Senate targeted legislative agenda and he is committed to support President Buhari to deliver on his promises to the people of Nigeria.

“We also wish to state unequivocally that it was wrong and mischievous for the writer of the fictional piece to link what happened on the floor of both chambers to some unnamed ex-ministers of the immediate past administration.

“We dare say that the entire story, detailed as it may seem, was the figment of the imagination of the author. That the story was packed full of insinuations and wild allegations and the writer evaded specificity in the names of the dramatist personae throughout the story smacks of bad journalism.”