VICE Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, has confirmed that Senator Dino Melaye graduated from the institution in year 2000.
Prof. Garba told the Senate Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions that the Senator graduated with a 3rd Class degree in Geography in the third semester of 1998/99.
He added however that Senator Melaye however graduated as Melaye Daniel Jonah and not as Dino Melaye as he is now known.
He said his degree was B.A Geography and not BSc Geography.
Garba said: “From the records, I know Sen. Dino Melaye, who was formerly known as Jonah Daniel Melaye, as former student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and I know him to be the distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“From the records of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye, who was at that time named Daniel Jonah Melaye, graduated with a 3rd class degree of the Bachelors of Art in Geography in the year 2000.
“And by this, he is a graduate of the university.
“In 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 3rd Class Degree in Geography, that is Bachelors of Arts in Geography.”
Following a Point of Order raised by the former Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, the Senate directed its Committee on Ethics to investigate the alleged certificate scam against Melaye.
The Committee was also given the go ahead to probe the alleged importation of a bullet proof Range Rover Sports SUV by the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
At the beginning of the investigation on Monday, Melaye presented his documents to the eight-member committee chaired by Senator Sam Anyanwu.
Some of the documents presented included: Offer of Admission dated September 6, 1994, Letter of Acceptance of admission and National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.
He also presented evidence of other post graduate degrees obtained in different institutions, but said he could not present his first degree from ABU as he had not collected the original copy of the certificate.
Responding to questions from the committee, Melaye (APC-Kogi) said the allegation that he did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University was untrue.
He said he had all evidences to show that he was a proud graduate of the school and currently a student in the school undergoing a Masters Degree programme.
He said: “I thank you for the invitation and I want to state my unequivocal confidence in this committee to do justice to this matter.
“I have 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 Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
“I gained admission with an offer of admission on the 6th of September, 1994 and the admission is to study Bachelor of Arts 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.
“I also want to tender— after my graduation for the Ahmadu Bello University, the school sent my name to the NYSC for the mandatory Service and I participated in the one year NYSC.
“I served in Police College, Kaduna and by the grace of God, that year I won the National Prize of the DG and it is on record and verifiable and I beg to tender my discharge certificate from NYSC.”
The lawmaker added that with the desire to further his education, he applied to the school to send his transcript to the University of Jos, where he studied Law, Security and Conflict Management.
He stressed that he also applied to the school to send his transcript to the University of Abuja where gained admission to study Masters in Policy Analysis.
On allegations that he bore several names at different times, Melaye said: “When I went back to Ahmadu Bello University again to study Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy, by then I was already known all over as Dino Melaye.
“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 change of name before my admission and I submitted it to ABU.
“I will tender my identity cards and I came here with a copy of my final year project duly signed by my Head of department in the Faculty of Arts as it was then called.”
Meanwhile, Ndume, who was absent at the beginning of the hearing, arrived after the committee had permitted the VC and Senator Melaye to leave.
Ndume however stressed that he did not write any petition against any of the senators, but only raised a point of order with the intention of clearing the senators from the alleged wrongdoings.
According to him, he only raised a Point of Order following publications alleging certificate forgery against Melaye, adding: “I didn’t raise petition, I only raised Point of Order 14 and 15.”
At the end of the interrogation, Ndume said his doubt about the allegation had been cleared since Melaye presented documents to show he actually graduated from the school.
He also said the attestation of the ABU VC further cleared his doubt.
He said: “I commend the way the chairman of the committee conducted the proceedings of this investigation.
“I did not petition against Melaye.
“I only felt it is part of my responsibility as former Leader and someone who has been in the National Assembly since 2003 to ensure the right thing was done to protect the image of the institution.
“With these evidences, the judgment is now that of the public.”
Earlier in his remarks, Anyanywu said there was an allegation based on privileged information gotten by Ndume (APC-Borno) that Melaye was not a graduate of ABU as he claimed.
He added that the allegation was centred on certificate forgery.
He said: “What is the issue is that you (Melaye) did not have first degree and you have been able to tender documents that we will go through.
“We will call the VC to either collaborate or deny your submissions.” http://www.socialtimesng.net/2017/03/certificate-scandal-what-abu-vc-told-senate-committee/ 
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