WHat will be Melaye’s next joker?
BY DESMOND EKWUEME
Someone once asked me to choose the word among these that best suits Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye representing the good people of Kogi West, an actor, a comedian, a clown or a defiant?
I said going by his actions, activities, antics and utterances he is all of the above. It only depends on what he is doing at a particular time, why, when and what influenced them and the environment he finds himself at that time. It also depends on your position and the angle you chose to view the “masquerade”. Melaye, I concluded is simply unpredictable and a product of the Nigerian system.
Here is a Senator who once attended plenary dressed in royal garb. He said, “royalty runs in my DNA”
Here is a Senator who once dressed like a herbalist. He said, “as an African, it is our culture and I must propagate it”.
Here is a Senator who once dressed like a rastafarian in one of his holidays abroad. He said, “rastafarianism has its roots in Africa and I am an African”.
Here is a Senator who once wore academic gown to the Senate. He said, “it is a proof especially for those who are not graduates and those with forged certificates”.
Here is a Senator who has shot and posted some videos online making mockery of his enemies. He said, “I will keep telling dem ntoooor because they can’t get me”.
Here is a Senator who has won the SENATOR OF THE YEAR award in 2016 and 2017 consecutively. He said, “it’s the Lord’s doing to shame the devil”.
Here is a Senator who has had faceoff with his State governor, Yahaya Bello. He said, “Kogites know what to do about who governs them come 2019”.
Here is a Senator who has had a messy faceoff with his colleague (Sen. Oluremi Tinubu) on the floor of the Senate. He said, “The Senate is not Bourdillon or Ikoyi where you dictate to your stooges”.
Here is a Senator who has had faceoff with the Executive arm of government saying after that the APC should apologise to Nigerians for failing the people. He later added, “If you say the truth, you will die and if you tell lies you will die, l have chosen to say the truth and die”. Here is a Senator who has had series of confrontations with the DSS and police. In one of those scuffles, he told the policemen trying to force him back into the vehicle, “I will kill myself here and put you in trouble”.
Here is a Senator who has jumped off police vehicle, hurt his neck, wore neck brace and attends court sessions cum proceedings on stretcher. He said, “only in Nigeria is a serving senator treated like a criminal”.
Here is a Senator who once displayed his fleet of exotic cars on his Instagram account telling commentators who accused him of using public funds to buy the cars to, “go and report to EFCC. I made money before becoming a senator. Haters, pack one side”.
Here is a Senator who once alleged that while on holiday in December 2016 his home in Kogi was raided for four hours by assailants who left his home bullet ridden. He said, “they want me dead but God kept me alive”
Here is a Senator who faced recall proceedings but retain the trust of his constituency. He said, “democracy has been tested and democracy w
on. The good people of Kogi West have spoken”.
Here is a Senator whose constituency projects in his state were razed down by fire set up by persons suspected to be arsonists. He said, “they cannot stop the work of God. They did not burn my property but that of the good people of Kogi West who they have been depriving of the dividend of democracy since 2015”.
Here is a Senator who was kidnapped and set free almost 24 hours later. He said, “I was in the wilderness for 11 hours. I thank God for saving my life”.
What next will Dino Melaye come up with? Even in the face of his new tweet revealing that he has been set free, critics’ body language suggests that there could be more on the sleeves of Melaye in this cat and mouse game between him and his political enemies.