The Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof
Ibrahim Garba, on Tuesday, said the lawmaker representing Kogi-West senatorial
district, Senator Dino Melaye, graduated from the institution.
Garba, who was placed on oath by the Senate Committee on Ethics,
Privileges and Public Petitions, appeared before the panel on Tuesday.
He said the lawmaker graduated from ABU while bearing a
different first and middle names.
The committee had conducted a public hearing as part of its
probe into the controversy surrounding Melaye's graduation from ABU.
The move was based on a point of order raised last Tuesday by a
former Majority Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, who called on the upper
chamber of the National Assembly to investigate the certificate scandal
involving Melaye.
An online news portal, Sahara Reporters, had in a series
of reports alleged that Melaye did not graduate from the university.
Speaking before the panel on Tuesday, the VC of ABU was asked if
Melaye was a student of the institution and what qualification he bagged as an
undergraduate student.
Garba said, "From the records, I know Senator Dino Melaye,
who was formerly known as Jonah Daniel Melaye, as a former student of the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and I know him to be the distinguished senator
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"From the records of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
distinguished Senator Dino Melaye, who was at that time named Daniel Jonah
Melaye, graduated with a Third Class degree of the Bachelors of Arts in
Geography in the year 2000. And by this, he is a graduate of the
university."
Members of the panel asked the vice-chancellor to repeat what he
said, reminding him that he was on oath.
He said, "On my honour, I reaffirm that Senator Dino Melaye
graduated as Daniel Jonah Melaye during the third semester of the
1998/1999 academic session with a Third Class degree in Geography; that is
Bachelors of Arts in Geography."
Earlier, Melaye was asked if he was a student of ABU and
graduated from the institution.
He replied, "I have a few documents I would also want to
tender to the committee and before I do that, I also want to state with every
sense of responsibility, that I am a graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria.
"I gained admission with an offer of admission on September
6, 1994, and the admission is to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree (in)
Geography and a copy of that admission letter will be tendered.
"I also have a second document to tender; my acceptance
offer by the university. I also have the third document to tender, which is my
result from the Ahmadu Bello University, certifying me a graduate of the
school.
"I also have here a document for my registration that I
tendered, where I have C5 in CRS, A3 in Agric, C6 in Economics, C6 in
Geography, C6 in Biology and a Credit in English. I will also tender that as
evidence."
The lawmaker explained that after his graduation from ABU, the
school mobilised him for the National Youth Service Corps between 2000 and
2001.
He said, "I served in Police College, Kaduna, and by the
grace of God, that year, I won the National Prize of the Director General (of
the NYSC) and it is on record and verifiable. I beg to tender my discharge
certificate from the NYSC."
When asked of the irregularities in the names on his
certificate, Melaye said he had sworn to an affidavit to regularise the names
and inform all relevant institutions.
He said, "My name as an undergraduate was Daniel Jonah
Melaye. Jonah is actually my father's name; so, that is what I have on my
university certificate. But because I am now popularly known as Dino, I applied
to the court and asked that I needed an affidavit for a change of name before
my admission and I submitted it to ABU."
