Opinion: Senator Dino Melaye: The Triumphant Voice of the Year - By Dr. Tom Ohikere

With 15 sponsored Bills and 20 sponsored Motions, the commitments and well serving efforts of Senator Dino Melaye in the discharge of his parliamentary responsibilities have not just added allure to the activities of the 8th senate, but he has also proven that, he remains the triumphant voice in the Upper Chamber.
Perhaps the chronicles of events of the 8th senate may have ended as a half coined narrative if the exultant imparts of the Kogi West Senator are ignored and his active efforts are undervalued.
Senator Melaye, a senator representing the good people of Kogi West Senatorial District may have been seen by many people as a controversial senator depending on their prism of judgment, however, a handier look into the armpit of his achievements as a member of the 8th senate, has shown that, Senator Melaye has done well in all ramifications to uphold the reputation of the upper chamber through his paragon inputs.
While it is naturally believed that, Senator Melaye is only representing the people of Kogi West, it is also adducible to say that, the senator has through his all-inclusive efforts placed the entire Kogi state and her good people on a positive global parliamentarian map. The various assassination attacks on him as well as well as the doom bound recall conspiracy notwithstanding as the senator is being seen by people from other senatorial districts within the state as the trumpet of the voiceless.
By simply being fair to posterity, it is good to put on record that, since the return of the 4th Republic in 1999, no single Senator from the Confluence state and many other states in the country has been able to attain these colossal achievements within two years of legislative sojourn.
Meanwhile, in recognition of Senator Melaye’s efforts, the Senate in October applauded Kogi born Senator for his enormous contributions in the sponsorship of numerous bills and motions just half way into the legislative calendar.
Though, legislative activities are not only limited to sponsorship of bills and motions but it is appalling to note that, there are some of Senator Melaye’s fellows that have not been able to sponsor up to two bills but just within two years, he has 15 bills to his credits, a feat that should be praised by non-sentimental individuals.
Senator Melaye, while granting interview to National Assembly TV recently, the Senator enumerated and outlined the various bills he has sponsored so far which include the following:
 . Economic and Financial Crime Commission (Establishment, etc.) Bill 2015 (SB.94)-1ST READING
 . Disability Integration Bill 2015 (SB. 95)
 . Ecclesiastical Court (Establishment, etc.) Bill 2015 (SB.96) - 1ST READING
 . Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 (SB.97)
 . Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act Cap D3 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2015 (SB. 98) - 1ST READING
 . Lobbying Disclosure Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 (SB 99) passed 2nd reading to committee on Judiciary.
 . Anti-Jungle Justice Bill 2015 (SB. 109), passed 2nd reading to committee on Judiciary.
 . Price Control and anti-protesting Bill 2015 (SB 110)
 . National Lottery Act 2005 (Amendment) Bill 2016 (SB :227) Passed.
 .Lobbying (Regulations) Bill 2016 (SB. 258) 1ST READING
 . National Orientation Agency Act (Amendment) Bill 2016 (SB. 333)
 . Residency Right for every citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Bill 2016 (AB. 356) 1ST READING
 . Federal University of Agriculture Kabba (Establishment, etc.) Bill 2016 (SB. 402) Passed 2nd reading, to committee on Tertiary Institutions & TETFUND
 . Facial Mutilation Prohibition Bill 2016 (SB. 408) 1ST READING
 . Ethnic and Religious Hatred Bill 2017 (SB. 420).
Senator Melaye in his gargantuan efforts and in recognition of his core responsibilities, also sponsored 20 motions within the time under review which include the following:
 . Matters of Urgent Public Importance: The imminent threat to Nigerian democracy with unfounded and charges instituted against the senate Presiding Officer by the Attorney General of the Federation.
 . Non Payment of Teachers’ salaries across the country
 . unscrupulous violations of Foreign Exchange, (Monitoring and Miscellaneous) Acts.
 .Disturbing Development in the Nigerian Aviation Industry.
 .Matter of Urgent Public Importance: The Unlawful and Wrongful misappropriation and Criminal Withholding of Public Revenues by the NNPC and NPDC from 2013 to the time motion was sponsored, December 13th, 2016.
 . Irregularity in the awards of contracts by the Bureau of Public Procurement .
 .Motion on Ailing Ajaokuta Steel Company, a Threat To Nigerian Industrial Growth.
 . Motion on corruption in the Manitoba Deal
 . Motion on the deplorable state of the following Roads: Kabba-Ilorin Road, Iluke-Aiyetoro, Abugi-Egan Road, Iyara-Omuo Road.
 . Motions on Repatriation of over 2 Trillion Naira from Nigeria by MTN.
 Abuse and Mismanagement of Treasury Single Account Regime.
 . Motion on Dredging of River Niger.
 . Motion on collapse of Road infrastructure in Nigeria
 . Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Second Runway Contract
 . Sustainable Development Goals: Take home from Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament 2015.
 . Proposed Policy of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), to sell and Install Speed Limit Devices on vehicles.
 . Abduction Of Chibok School Girls: Two Years After
 Co-Sponsored with Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda: Continued Implementation Of Federal Capital Territory Statutory Appropriation Act 2016, and for other related matters pursuant to section 122, 299 of the Constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
 . Discrepancy in Subsidy Payment and Non Remittance of Funds by the NNPC to the Federation Accounts.
 Motion on Urgent Completion of OMI DAM. The motion was passed and resolution was sent to the presidency and Honourable Minister of Water Resources.
Besides these great achievements of the people’s Senator, Senator Melaye has also through humanitarian services touched and uplifted the lives of the people of Kogi state, especially the people of Kogi West Senatorial Districts which time and space will not allow me to outline. He has indeed endeared himself to the people of the state across the three Senatorial Districts through his selfless services. You may simply call him Kogi Senator.
In view of the significance of Senator Dino Melaye in the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his giant strides in Kogi state, The Broom Platform, a Grade A support Group of the APC National Secretariat, and the media base of the Coalition of the APC support Groups (CASG) will be hosting the Distinguished Senator, his friends and Associates to a BUFFET LAUNCH/DAY OF COMMENDATION by last week of January, 2018 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The Epochal event which will be attended by top government functionaries, politicians, media operators and among others will also feature a public lecture, pictorial exhibitions on FIVE MOST OUTSTANDING NIGERIAN POLITICIANS IN 2017 and their certifications.
Sign:
Dr. Tom Ohikere
(Chairman) Prof. Afolabi Johns