Dino Melaye’s certificates scandal deepens
Published March 25, 2017



Dayo Oketola, Gbenro Adeoye and Tunde Ajaja

The qualification scandal that has enveloped the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has deepened.

Documents obtained exclusively by Saturday PUNCH through painstaking and thorough investigations showed that the embattled senator has a Bachelor of Arts certificate in Geography from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.



The senator, apart from bagging a third class, also possesses a diploma certificate from the University of Jos.

However, the senator only has a statement of results from ABU. And not only that, checks at the university revealed that it only offers B.Sc. Geography and not B.A. Geography as reflected on Melaye’s statement of results.

Melaye’s trouble began on Monday, March 20, 2017 when an online news medium, Sahara Reporters, in a tweet alleged that the senator did not graduate from ABU for his first degree, against his claim that he studied Geography in the prestigious institution.

The news medium also alleged that Melaye, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, bribed his Head of Department, who assisted him to forge his transcript.

In a series of tweets via its Twitter handle, @SaharaReporters, the online news medium said some lecturers in the Geography Department insisted that Melaye did not graduate from the department and that his name was not on the graduation list because he failed five compulsory courses.

Following the report, which gained traction speedily, Melaye dismissed the allegations, daring the news medium to sue him if it had authentic evidence to back its claims.

He took to his twitter handle and wrote, “Sahara Reporters, please sue me and ABU if it is true that I did not graduate from Zaria. Tell Magu (EFCC Chairman) to arrest and prosecute me.”

Melaye also boasted that he was currently a student in ABU pursuing his seventh degree, adding, “Go round all the UNIS (universities) I attended in digging more.”


Dino Melaye certificate
A day after the news broke, Melaye, while speaking on the floor of the Senate, also addressed himself as an “authentic graduate” of ABU.

Meanwhile, when The PUNCH contacted ABU to verify the conflicting information, the institution’s Information Officer, Adamu Mohammed, promised that the institution would come out with its position on Wednesday, which it failed to do as of the time of filing this report.

Amid the controversy, documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the senator had a statement of results with the logo of ABU.

The statement of results read, “This is to certify that Daniel Jonah Melaye having completed an approved course of study and passed the prescribed examinations as, under the authority of the Senate been awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Geography) with Third Class honours.”

The statement, issued by the Office of the Registrar, Academic Office and dated February 3, 2000, was signed by B.B. Mshelthlila.

There are, however, certain discrepancies that beg for more clarifications. For instance, in the statement of results, his name was given as “Daniel Jonah MELAYE.” However, checks by one of our correspondents on https://abu.edu.ng/ revealed that Geography is in the Faculty of Science and not the Faculty of Arts as reflected in the statement of results.

Also, in the senator’s NYSC discharge certificate, which was issued on July 8, 2001, his name read “Melaye Daniel” and not Daniel Jonah as shown in the statement of results.

Also, in the diploma certificate issued to him by the University of Jos on August 3, 2006, his name read “Daniel Dino Melaye.”

He was issued an Advanced Diploma certificate in Law, Security and Conflict Resolution. He finished with ‘Lower Credit’ on August 3, 2006.

However, in his Senior School Certificate in 1992, his name read ‘Melaiye Daniel Jonah O.’ with Melaye being wrongly spelt.

In the result, he had P8 in English Language, P8 in Mathematics, P8 in Geography, P8 in Chemistry, C5 in Christian Religious Knowledge, P7 in Economics, C6 in Biology and B3 in Agric Science.

When contacted again by one of our correspondents on his mobile telephone on Friday evening, the Information Officer, ABU, Mr. Adamu Mohammed, sounded hostile.

“Please, this is not official time; call me tomorrow, thank you, goodnight,” he said and hung up.

It will be recalled that in furtherance to his defence, Melaye had reportedly claimed that he obtained degrees from the prestigious Harvard University, London School of Economics and Political Science and a post-graduate degree from the University of Jos.

But in a swift response to an enquiry, Harvard University, in a statement from the Registrar’s office, on Thursday noted that Melaye was not a graduate of the institution as he only completed a week-long leadership seminar in November 2016.

The London School of Economics equally responded on Thursday, saying there was no proof on the institution’s database that Melaye obtained any degree from the school.

But on Thursday, he filed a N5bn libel suit against Sahara Reporters at a FCT High Court. Meanwhile, given the Senate’s decision to investigate the allegation and the uproar the report had generated, Melaye had since taken to the social media to exonerate himself of all the allegations.

Moments after he filed the suit, he took to the social media to post pictures of the cover and certification pages of his Master’s project, and a group picture of his days as a corps member, even though he was the only one not in uniform.

He wore a white T-shirt and blue shorts, adding that he served in Kaduna State in 1999. The caption on the picture read, “ABU 99 set at NYSC camp in KD. Me in blue shorts.”

Also, on Friday, Wikipedia, had edited Melaye’s profile to include ‘Certificate Scandal’, which briefly chronicled the issues surrounding the ongoing certificate brouhaha.

Source: http://punchng.com/dino-melayes-certificates-scandal-deepens/

Melaye's issue has gone beyond lying. His issue is in the realm of delusion..

In Melaiyes head, whenever he pays a visit to a friend at any University campus, by the time he exists the gate of the university, he is automatically a graduate and an alumnus of that university. And, if Dino happens to walk through two department's building that day, that is a double degree in one day for him.

That is how Dino's head works. Believe me.

This is the caliber of people making Laws for Nigeria. I am ashamed.

BA Geography. I've never heard of that.

Dottore:
BA Geography. I've never heard of that.

Dino is special. The course was specifically designed for him.

1. There could be errors with names

2. Dino wasn't a serious person as a youth

3. There is a lot he is covering up

4. Someone should go to court and ask ABU, and Unijos to produce all his academic records.

5. Nigerian media are as lazy as Dino was in secondary school and so we may not see the end of this matter.

Dino don buy market... shut up u no go hear... see where talk talk land u

In the next few days, we will forget abt this Melaye issue and the whole thing will look as if it didn't happen. No b Niaja we dey?

I just hope saraki will give him the same level of support...

IbnIslam:
I just hope saraki will give him the same level of support...

Then you don't know Saraki. Saraki's loyalty is only to himself.
Moreover, there are situations that when shit hits the fan, the best thing to do is to scamper for safety.
Most likely, Dino will be the one to carry his own cross alone.

I pity dino this embrassment is too much wallahi

deji15:
Melaye's issue has gone beyond lying. His issue is in the realm of delusion..

In Melaiyes head, whenever he pays a visit to a friend at any University campus, by the time he exists the gate of the university, he is automatically a graduate and an alumnus of that university. And, if Dino happens to walk through two department's building that day, that is a double degree in one day for him.

That is how Dino's head works. Believe me.

This is the caliber of people making Laws for Nigeria. I am ashamed.

Bros you dey vex o!
Dino dey owe you something?

Your post is epic tho'

The pattern now is anybody vocal person is blackmailed to keep quite, no wonder its a zombie govt lead by ja-jaweed men

"Honourables?" My God...laughable parliament in its entirety!

emeijeh:


Bros you dey vex o!
Dino dey owe you something?

Your post is epic tho'

Thanks! But bro, with the kind of ostentatious lifestyle that Dino is living and the number of people who worked hard and could not make ends meet, he no reach make person vex?

"Honourables?"...My God....laughable parliament in its entirety!

I love Sahara Reporters, if they want to kill you, they will make sure you are shot twice, if you survive , you will be shot again. Their sources are everywhere.

I believe he will have alternative explanation to that.
they always do.



This is nigeria
by the time he hires 23 SANs 101 senators n 445 grassroot supporters from yeast carrying placards in support if his scandal we will be intimidated n let him be.
That shows how powerful these politicians are

deji15:
Melaye's issue has gone beyond lying. His issue is in the realm of delusion..

In Melaiyes head, whenever he pays a visit to a friend at any University campus, by the time he exists the gate of the university, he is automatically a graduate and an alumnus of that university. And, if Dino happens to walk through two department's building that day, that is a double degree in one day for him.

That is how Dino's head works. Believe me.

This is the caliber of people making Laws for Nigeria. I am ashamed.

On the spot! I think this was the thought he had when he said he graduated from Harvard and LSE.

deji15:
Melaye's issue has gone beyond lying. His issue is in the realm of delusion..

In Melaiyes head, whenever he pays a visit to a friend at any University campus, by the time he exists the gate of the university, he is automatically a graduate and an alumnus of that university. And, if Dino happens to walk through two department's building that day, that is a double degree in one day for him.

That is how Dino's head works. Believe me.

This is the caliber of people making Laws for Nigeria. I am ashamed.

Not only you. Nigeria's democracy is a farce and a joke.

My question is why is it difficult for ABU to release facts and supporting documents.
See how havard and London school of political sciences responded within few hours? I believe Abu is compromised and a lot of illegal dealings are going on behind the curtain. With this facts presented and as someone here went thru Abu database without seeing Dino's name on the alumina lists, the guy don buy markets. And with quick alterations on nass webpage, this is a serious case that ,in a sane country, he would have been arrested and questioned.
I won't be surprised if this kangaroo committee set up to investigate him free him of any wrong doing while the school at the center of hullabaloo are forced to keep mum. Nigeria is a joke. Laws and its penalties are only made for the weak, poor citizens. SR have enough evidence to nail this man, and they are doing it in batches. But who will remove him from the Senate when his best friend there, and his leader is in the same shoe as he is.
If sowoye happened to be operating from Nigeria, Dele giwa case would have been a child's play. Nigeria is not a country.

priceaction:
My question is why is it difficult for ABU to release facts and supporting documents.

ABU has already confirmed Dino graduated. And they presented facts.

donfemo:



ABU has already confirmed Dino graduated. And they presented facts.

We need documented facts . where was it pasted and showed to the world? Not mouth facts from anonymous Dean . I need the link , please show me.
There are many irregularities in that process, from admissions to graduate, to certificate to nysc posting . This is a dent to a prestigious university like that, that can't keep record straight. That's my major points.
Lalasticlala are you sleeping?

Buharimustgo:
The pattern now is anybody vocal person is blackmailed to keep quite, no wonder its a zombie govt lead by ja-jaweed men

if you want to be vocal, be vocal with a clean cupboard.

Politics is dirty all over the world.

You can't eat your cake and have it.

By the way, what is vocal about dino? Following saraki to court, blocking efcc chairman from being cleared or threatening to beat his fellow senator? How have those things help the masses?

.

Flyingngel:
In the next few days, we will forget abt this Melaye issue and the whole thing will look as if it didn't happen. No b Niaja we dey?

Na so. APC and media are 5 and 6.Using different things to divert our attention

tunderay:
I love Sahara Reporters, if they want to kill you, they will make sure you are shot twice, if you survive , you will be shot again. Their sources are everywhere.

But they couldn't nail Godswill Akpabio.in fact they had to apologize

asuustrike2009:

But they couldn't nail Godswill Akpabio.in fact they had to apologize

Very correct, but they've won over 80 percent of their war.

tunderay:
Very correct, but they've won over 80 percent of their war.

Yea but there war are based on sentiment, highest bidder and who bribes them.

asuustrike2009:

Yea but there war are based on sentiment, highest bidder and who bribes them.

You know I don't think we need to be concern about who pay them or who didn't, I think it should be about revealing the truth.

tunderay:
You know I don't think we need to be concern about who pay them or who didn't, I think it should be about revealing the truth.

Revealing truth which aren't substantial enough ? The case of Akpabio comes to mind

asuustrike2009:

Revealing truth which aren't substantial enough ? The case of Akpabio comes to mind

Bros, that is just a solitary case, you don't try to generalise it. The job of SR is to investigate, its left for the authority to deal with it at the court.

tunderay:
Bros, that is just a solitary case, you don't try to generalise it. The job of SR is to investigate, its left for the authority to deal with it at the court.

The job of SR is to be balance in their investigation not taking sides, not taking bribe and not being biased that's what a good journalist does.