Senate President Bukola Saraki, has said that former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, tried to “embarrass” him,
by accussing him of importing bullet-proof SUV jeep worth N370million.
The Senate had in March, suspended Senator Ali Ndume for six months, for raising false allegations against Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye through order 14 and 15 at plenary.
The suspension followed the report of Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led
committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges which recommended
for his suspension for one legislative year.
Ndume had called for the probe of his colleagues, after a publication
in national dailies reported that “the Senate President, Bukola Saraki
bought SUV bullet proof Jeep worth N370 million without paying it’s
Custom duties.”
The motion he raised also called for the investigation of Senator
Dino Melaye representing Kogi East Senatorial district, who he alleged
did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as claimed by an
online newspaper.
In an interview with Daily Trust, he was asked if Ndume had given him
and Melaye the chance to clear themselves of the allegations by raising
the issue, Saraki replied: “No, I don’t think so because the issue of
the car, when it came up, the management issued a statement. When
government appointees buy an official car, it is not their car.
Government provides a car to you by virtue of your job.
“The National Assembly Management said no car was imported in Senator
Saraki’s name, and Senator Ndume knew that. Even if you think that your
colleague is not qualified, did he call him and say ‘Colleague, is it
true that you don’t have a genuine certificate?’ There are many ways of
addressing these issues.
“Coming to the [Senate] floor escalated the whole issue. What the
committee was saying was did you check this thing very well before you
came to the floor and said your privilege was… So it is not that he gave
me an opportunity to prove it because the management had already said
that no car was brought in under my name, and Ndume knew it. He brought
the issue to embarrass both myself and the institution. I am not an
importer. I don’t agree with you that he gave us a chance to clear
ourselves because we had already been cleared.”
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