DINO MELAYE: WHY HE SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT
It is quite ironic to hear that Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is alleged to be sponsoring efforts to recall one of the brightest and obviously the most outspoken and audacious Senator in Nigeria’s recent history, Dino Melaye. In serious societies, those who should be preparing to contest the 2019 presidential election should be the likes of Senator Dino Melaye; former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke; Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai; former Central Bank Governor, Chukwuma Soludo; Governor of Gombe State Ibrahim Dankwambo; founder of Heirs Holding, Tony Elumelu; the former Agriculture Minister, Akinwumi Adesina, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. There are many other Nigerians that fit this list.
But this is Nigeria where leaders emerge on the basis of the religious, ethnic and other mundane considerations, instead of merit and track record of achievements. And so, in making political permutations and calculations, we disqualify our best 11, due largely because it is not the turn of their geopolitical zones to produce president. Or that we cannot have a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket; and all sorts of retrogressive excuses.
Placed side by side with his colleagues in the current Eighth Assembly and others in recent times, even the worst political enemies of Dino Melaye would agree that he has done well as a lawmaker. The only thing they can say in a muffled voice is that “The man talks too much,” or that “Dino is an irritant,” or that “He is so flamboyant”, all such balderdash.
How do well meaning members of the society rate a lawmaker and decide whether or not he or she has done well or is doing well? The generally acceptable measure is in active representation which can be seen from how many bills and motions the representative initiated or co-sponsored; how active and articulate he is during debates at plenary; how much the representative has influenced his colleagues or ministers to attract developmental projects to his constituency and at the national level, how such a representative has contributed to making quality laws.
There is no Nigerian therefore that would say that Dino is a dull senator. No one can count him among the bench warmers who sit all days without saying either ‘aye’ or ‘nay’. I don’t think anybody has caught Dino on camera sleeping while debate is going on. Rather, Dino has helped to place Kogi West Senatorial district on national consciousness.
From the House of Representatives before graduating to the red chambers, (the Senate), Dino has always been visible at plenary, raising motions, debating, arguing, sometimes dramatising.
Apart from actively representing his constituency, Dino has been a voice for the voiceless, standing against injustice and obnoxious, anti-people state policies as well as shouting to expose corruption. All these without fear of whose egg would be broken. It was Dino, more than any other senator that resisted the introduction of an offensive policy asking car owners to go and pay for duties which was purely a responsibility of dealers and importers. Although the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service insisted not to appear before the Senate in uniform, the organisation was compelled by the Senate through a debate led by Dino to suspend the implementation of that policy, indefinitely. How better then can a lawmaker perform before he is awarded medal of honour by his fellow countrymen and women?
Yes, Dino fought on the floor of the House when he was a representative. His clothes were torn in the process. But that is not an abomination for a lawmaker. Lawmakers fight and throw chairs and tear clothes, all over the world.
In November 2010, Argentine lawmakers fought physically following disagreements over budget after opposition MP Graciela Camano slapped another member Carlos Kunkelo in the face. In October 1997, members of parliament in the Uttar Pradesh State used microphone stands as spears on themselves during a violent dispute.