Hard-hitting Senator representing Kogi West, Otunba Dino Melaye, has vowed to stand by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, till the end of his ongoing trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Melaye, who is one of Saraki’s strongest allies as well as the emerging godfather of Kogi State politics, on Saturday in Abuja vowed that the Senate President’s trial would end in the Supreme Court.
According to him, the committees in the National Assembly would keep a close watch on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government and ensure proper implementation of the 2016 budget which has been signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Melaye, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), representing Kogi West Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who founded “Like-minded Senators”, the group which worked for the emergence of Saraki as Senate President, spoke after the conferment of an award on him by the Rotary Club of Ilorin GRA, led by a former Military Administrator of Bauchi and Osun States, Col. Theophilus Bamigboye (retd), for his commitment to nation building.
He said, “Our support for the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is total and undiluted. Our commitment to his getting justice is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. One thing I want to assure Nigerians is that the trial of Saraki will not end in the CCT, but in the Supreme Court and we are with the Senate President until we get to the last bus stop. We are with him up till Supreme Court.”
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Melaye expressed excitement that after the controversies surrounding the 2016 budget, it has been signed by the President.
He said, “What is more important is not the signing of the budget but its implementation. But we look forward to making sure that the National Assembly with all sincerity of purpose carry out monitoring of the MDAs to make sure that this budget is properly implemented.
“May we never see a situation where only 30 per cent of capital projects is implemented. May we never see what we have seen in the past. May this budget be properly implemented for the benefit of Nigerians and the masses of the country.
I am using this opportunity to plead with my colleagues in the National Assembly to make sure that our committees function properly and do a very holistic oversight and see to the implementation of this budget and pray that the Executive becomes born again by doing the right thing.”
While dedicating the award to the over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State who were abducted by Boko Haram members, Melaye said he was “much concerned and completely pained that after two years of their unceremonious exit and forceful kidnap”, they have not been found.
“One will be wondering what their condition would be and what their mental, health and psychological state could be. One is also wondering how traumatised they are. So our prayer is that they join us soon. I am dedicating this award to the Chibok girls to tell Nigerians that there is no other nation to call our own until these girls are back. It is to remind Nigerians that these girls are still there and everything should be done to bring them back”, he stated.
Bamigboye said the Rotary Club decided to honour Melaye because of his commitment to nation building.
He said, “We have been following your activities over the years and we have found you to be a fighter and a dependable ally who have the interest of the downtrodden.
I am the President, Rotary Club of Ilorin, GRA. We had a presidential luncheon about a month ago and Dino Melaye was one of the recipients of the award.
“He couldn’t come and we are using the opportunity of our conference in Abuja to present it to him. Dino Melaye is a serious human being, we know and he has been doing very well and we appreciate all what he has been doing for this nation.”
