By Babatunde Faniyan
No man is indispensable, but the senate today, without Dino Melaye would be hit by a vacuum. It is a divine law that God abhors a vacuum. Indeed, there is no vacuum in Nature.
Some persons leave a place or are removed and they are replaced – instantly, seamlessly, easily and without a ripple. Such persons do not cause a vacuum by their absence. Dino (Daniel) Melaye is not one of those. Melaye has amassed a large number of enemies of late. People who rarely know him spewing invectives, venom, and passionate hatred against the man. And I am amused. He is painted as “notorious” a “rabble rouser”, “rascal”, “irritant”, “arrogant”, “Corrupt”, because he has many exotic cars – you name it! But no one has ever proved him as corrupt or dishonest; nor has anyone ever found him wanting in his duties to the state and to his people.At the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye was tagged “notorious” by sundry commentators. His photograph in torn clothing then was a popular sight. But these ones did not ask what was the story behind the photograph. Many still do not know how Dino Melaye stood staunchly behind the then speaker Patricia Ette who was accused of certain acts of Corruption.But Dino Melaye saw behind the smokescreen that the “war” against her was actually because many Northern Muslims in the House were not comfortable “taking a bow” before a woman. Dino Melaye, in his usual aggressive manner against Corruption and intimidation in any form fought by her side till the end.Now, in the Senate. Dino Melaye has been prominent, vocal, progressive and generally responsive to the yearnings of the people. He has been so effective in the Upper chamber that he was voted the Senator of the year 2016. He had a tiff with the wife of the APC leader, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and he was quoted as saying “I will beat you up and impregnate you”.That is a very caustic and expensive statement coming from a senator to a female senator. It lends credence to the notorious tags pinned on him: Rascal, arrogant, proud, irritant, loud, etc.But again, like in the storm at the House of Representaatiaves, Dino Melaye’s enemies did not ask for the story behind the scenes and the actions that led to the man’s reaction. Is Dino Melaye’s utterance not a missile by a wounded party to intimidate an opposing party (Mrs Tinubu)? Is it not a counter-offensive to neutralize the woman’s well known domineering tendencies due to her husband’s position? Is the statement any different in effect from the everyday missiles fired by men all over: such as “I will give you a dirty slap; I will break your head; I will kill you” etc? The speakers of these statements issue them as mere threats and have no intention of putting them into effect. He who has not committed the sin of uttering any one of these “unguarded” statements issued in the heat of “battle” should cast the first stone at Melaye. And has Melaye not mend fences with Remi Tinubu?And now, to the Recall drama. Very engaging, scintillating drama - can’t be otherwise since Dino Melaye is at the centre. Like all great men, Melaye does not shy away from “righteous” controversies.According to a sage: “The Reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the Unreasonable man works at adapting the world to his ideals.Therefore, all development comes through the Unreasonable man”Dino Melaye’s enemies are now crying “Crucify him! Recall him! Crucify him!” But they are not asking to know what led to the Recall crescendo in the first place. How come that the Kogi state governor, Yaya Bello is the one spearheading and funding the Recall tragic- comedy?What are the “sins” of Dino Melaye against the governor? With Kogi state highlighted by the NLC as one of the greatest villain in the non-payment of workers’ salaries and pensions, is it a sin for Senator Dino Melaye, a prominent stakeholder in the state, to scold the governor and tell him to be up to his responsibilities? With this people-friendly crusade, has Melaye abused or breached any personal rights of the governor or any constitutional legacy?
Governor Yaya Bello, who does not even know that double registration with INEC is an offence is a neophyte in politics compared to a rugged veteran and democratic icon as Dino Melaye. IF he knows where Melaye is coming from and the stern, but crystal-clear, honest, people-loving and incorruptible stuff he is made of, he would not be attempting to unseat him with corrupt monetary inducements and forged signatures.
Nature herself is looking on. She would not fold her arms and allow the gaping vacuum to be created by the absence of Dino Melaye’s, the roaring gem in the 8th Senate.The Dino Melaye Recall process is doomed to fail.I Beg to Move.
babsfaniyan@gmail.com
Babatunde Faniyan is a Lagos based author, publisher and communications consultant.
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