THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO ALL OF US, Senator Dino Melaye!


Today is, indeed, a sad day for me and for lovers of true democracy in Nigeria. I have just lost the biggest voice at the National Assembly through the combination of evil collaboration and conspiracy.

Now, let's face it, Senator Dino may not be liked by Nigerians who do not have a good knowledge of Parliament in a democracy and the notion of separation of powers, but easily condemned from the angle of partisanship and the fact that he stood up to challenge executive despotism at all times. That's a slap on the face of their idol.

Dino may be flashy, may be flamboyant, and may not dress as 'distinguished' as you expected at a time he was actually supposed to be casual, sporty and 'swaggy' BUT he operates within the ambit of his rights. That's his personal life to live.

His duties in the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria are exactly what is expected of any true lawmaker anywhere in the world: Lawmaking, Representation and Oversight. In all these, he performed more than the best Senator of any of his traducers. He sponsored several Bills and moved the most result yielding Motions in the Senate.

Senator Dino has positively touched the lives of EVERY Nigerian with his gallant carriage in the conduct of his parliamentary obligations of REPRESENTATION & OVERSIGHT. He scored an average of distinction. He spoke for me, he spoke for you and for your family, whether one loved him or hate him.

When Benue was ravaged by the incursion of herdsmen killings, he spoke first. His voice was so resonant in the House that the floor of the Senate was vibrating. The Motion was passed and the executive reacted. He did this even before National Assembly members of Benue state decided to follow suit. That's clean representation.

Year in year out, it was Senator Dino who always drew our attention to the abnormalities of the budget proposed by the Executive where bags of rice, cutlery, diesel, generators and building of gate house are pegged at the rates higher than the cost price of limousines. That's perfect oversight.

When CG of Customs proposed a new Customs policy that threatened to impose custom duties on ALL cars in Nigeria bought from car dealers, it was the Motion moved by Senator Dino that struck down that tyranny by reminding the Customs that Nigerians cannot be held responsible for the irresponsibility of their officers who took bribe to allow these millions of vehicles in.

When the Federal Road Safety Commission issued a controversial directives in respect of double charges for issuing number plates, Senator Dino stood up and spoke for all of us, and the matter was rested.

When Mr. President was mouthing integrity as the catchword of his government, it was Senator Dino who discovered that the former SGF Babachir Lawal, was cornering hundreds of millions under a phantom contract garnished with beautiful English: MANUAL REMOVAL OF EVASIVE PLANT SPECIE. Just to weed out grass by hand in a small portion of an IDP camp oo! It was also Senator Dino who discovered the hundreds of billions expended on NNPC contracts indicting the former NNPC GMD, the president's chief of staff and other cronies, in a contract that was not appropriated by the National Assembly.

For his constituency projects, Dino has a huge number of hospitals, schools, electric power projects, roads, bridges, halls, solar water projects, spread all across his senatorial district. In the Senate, he doesn't miss a sitting. He had the highest number of attendance in plenary and committee sittings more than any other Senator.

In his core mandate of a Legislator, Senator Dino scored an untainted distinction. And that is his nature. Thus, if he was in the US Senate, British Parliament, Israeli Knesset, he would have invariably been the best and could have spent as long number of years as he wanted.

Cynics and traducers may laugh over the fall of Senator Dino by the combination of the menace of hate, evil and conspiracy. But truth is, it is not his fall. It is our fall. It is the fall of a loud voice for the people. It is the rise of robotics parliament. It is the fall of our institutions of government and the debauchery in the system as exemplified by INEC, Police, Military, NYSC, Academics, etc. And the rise of thuggery, malfeasance, killings, arson, rituals, evil manipulations and state gangsterism against individuals. It is a seed that we may all eat at our own time. It is the institutionalisation of Hobbesian principles as the minimum standard for our elections and statecraft.

To Senator Dino Daniel Melaye, all I pray and crave for is, may God give you the power, the grace, the candour and the wisdom to surmount these challenges. As I take my exit, I'd leave you with the concluding words of Fidel Castro while addressing the oppressive Cuban system at Santiago, Cuba, on October 16, 1953:
"I know that (it) will be harder for me than it has ever been for anyone, filled with cowardly threats and hideous cruelty. But I do not fear...as I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of... my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me!"

Good

Good riddance to bad rubbish...!

Never again, Nigeria, never again.

[quote author=mathinips post=84527682]THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO ALL OF US, Senator Dino Melaye!