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THE Senate on Tuesday, March 21, resolved to probe allegations that its insistence to summon Hameed Ali, comptroller general of Nigeria Customs Service, NSC, to appear before senators was because the vehicle of Bukola Saraki, Senate president, was seized by the service.

The Senate would also probe an allegation of fake school certificate by Dino Melaye, a senator from Kogi State.

The resolution followed a motion on matters of privilege raised by Mohammed Ali Ndume, a senator from Borno State.

Ndume said the privileges of senators were breached by the two allegations, which he said were published by some national dailies.

Ndume said in the past, former leaders of the National Assembly such as Salisu Buhari, Aminu Bello Masari, Adolphus Wabara, Evan Enwerem and Dimeji Bankole were all investigated when matters like this came up.

He, therefore, prayed that the matter be referred to the Senate committee on ethics and privileges to probe the matter for senators to be cleared on the matter.

Consequently, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy Senate president, referred the matter to the committee to investigate and report back in four weeks.

The two matters involving Saraki and Melaye, his ally, were made public following reports by Sahara Reporters about how a bullet proof Range Rover purportedly belonging to the Senate president was imported with fake papers and seized by the Nigeria Customs Service.

Ali is currently at loggerheads with the Senate which insists the retired colonel must wear Customs uniform to appear before the lawmakers on Wednesday, March 22.

Sahara Reporters’ report suggested the Senate was tough on Ali because Customs seized Saraki’s car.

But seizure was yet to be confirmed by the NCS at press time.

The paper also said Melaye did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, contrary to the Senator’s claim. But Melaye denied the allegation, saying he was even currently studying for a postgraduate degree in the school.

Since his removal as Senate leader after a fallout with Saraki over the rejection of the nomination of Ibrahim Magu for the top job at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ndume has been openly tackling Saraki.

He once asked the Senate president to disclose the details of the National Assembly’s budget to both the public and the lawmakers.

—  Mar 21, 2017 @ 17:45 GMT

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