N255M Car Scam: Dino Melaye And The National Assembly Must Shut-up! By Adoyi Ali

 

The very popular assertion that “he that goes to equity, must go with clean hands" must always be upheld by all genuine citizens of this great country, principally, with regards to the ongoing storm trailing the acquisition of 2 armoured vehicles for the Aviation Minister, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

It's true that certain issues must be questioned, and certain incongruities be addressed on a national scale so we can have sanity restored to our ever flagging corrupt country, but it's equally true that only rational people with clean hands are expected to preside over such issues. It will be out of place to have an armed robber tied to stake for another armed robber to prosecute or have a prostitute as judge over other prostitutes. In as much as such situation will be side-splitting, it further ridicules the presiding robber and the prostitute. This is what Dino and our lawmakers are doing. Today, Dino is 'blabbing'. He is picketing on the Aviation office, he is mobilising and campaigning for the sack of Stella, because he feels the Minister compelled the NCAA to get her the 2 controversial cars, but has forgotten his statement few days ago, when he said he owns similar cars which he acquired at N96M. Additionally, the memory of his ‘cow-boy show’ at the Green Chambers still remains fresh; consequently, his suspension from the National Assembly makes him a total outcast and an ignoble member so to speak.

Relatively, Dino’s bicycle-ride to the AIT’s headquarters, Paduma Hills in Asokoro, Abuja in pretext of his support for the poor masses, downtrodden and the oppressed; when he has two armoured vehicles and other expensive cars parked at the backyard of his house is only but a sham. He should go and bury his head in shame.

 Dino's constituency was deserted completed when he represented them few years ago. He never did anything for his people, and was at the verge of being recalled before another election pushed him away from the said position. It's only in Nigeria that a corrupt officer will rise against another person suspected to be corrupt. The truth is that Dino is fighting a just course, but are his hands clean? How can you have unwashed hands and eat with an elder? Where did he make N96M from in the first place? N96M thrown away just for some bullet-proof cars! Is that not tax payer's money? Dino has a question to answer. He needs to apologise to his people for having impoverished them while representing them. He needs to explain how he got such money to acquire armoured vehicles. His source of wealth must be investigated as soon as possible. Public officers must stop stealing our money-our sweat.

The Honourable members, with due respect must also shut their mouths on this matter as they have already thrown their nobility and credibility to the wind.  Unless the Otedola/ Faroukgate scandal is addressed openly to its logical conclusion, we will continue to disregard some of their positions on national issues. The lawmakers have not only ‘blindfolded’ Nigerians into believing that Farouk/Otedola’s case is currently been handled by a competent court of law, but have quietly killed the case. How powerful is the diminutive Farouk Lawan that he cannot even be suspended by his fellow members pending court decision? Why did the House of Reps members take to their heels when Otedola requested media presence in his testimony on what transpired between him and Farouk? Of course, they couldn’t go to equity, because they have got some stained hands.  What’s so difficult about coming out clean on Farouk’s matter? Surely, there was a give and take. Something was exchange for something; yet, the two principal actors in the case continue to walk head and shoulder-high with no question. Why should Farouk Lawan be allowed to deliberate on corrupt related matters? It can only happen in Nigeria. Today, we are totally swayed by emotion regarding the ongoing Aviation saga, forgetting that the same bullet-proof cars are owned by other Ministers. Have we even asked questions on how other Ministers and Senators got theirs? Ngozi Okonjo Iweala has two of the said vehicles. How much did she buy hers? We are spending more time talking on just N255M when billions are been siphoned every day. We can only blackmail as Nigerians because we have interest in a position, but we can’t really fight a course to a logical conclusion. Too bad for us!  Prices of the vehicles may have been inflated, but it’s really not worth the uproar. Don’t get it wrong; my intention is not to defend the Aviation Minister, but who knows if she was even involved in the actual transaction. The Minister may not have been involved in the negotiation. The issues really is not because the Minister acquired an armoured vehicle, the issue should rather be what we suspect must have been inflated. The X or Y amount must be refunded as soon as possible. From the Minister’s explanation, chains of people were involved in the transaction. We need to investigate the actual price of the vehicle, and request for a refund, instead of wasting time over ‘due process’. If there was due process in Nigeria, we wouldn’t have had some people in government today, because in the first place, due process was not followed before they speedily climbed to the top. If we had follow due process, it would have been very easy for brilliant people to succeed in this country; but the reverse is the case. They are currently walking aimlessly on the streets looking for three square meals.

 

Nigerians are mostly wired to think meticulously. We like to join the crowd. We tend to disregard our problems when discussing other people's issues on the peripheral. We will talk and make so much initial ‘gragra’ that we all inherited from our Yoruba friends and brothers, then we let that fly with the wave as soon as another subject comes up. Some of us survive on tittle-tattle. It is sad. I still reiterate that, ‘’ he that must go to equity, must go with clean hands.’’