The Nigerian academic community yesterday, suffered its worse insult in history courtesy of Sen Melaye’s appearance on the floor of Nigeria Senate. Perhaps in a bid to prove that he graduated from ABU, Dino Melaye decided to do the unthinkable by wearing academic gown.Many of us may see Dino Melaye’s appearance in an academic gown as insignificant and not worthy of note. However, I strongly disagree on the following reasons.
To set the records straight, Dino’s appearance yesterday is an affront on anyone who has ever studied hard to pass exams. And I am a bit surprised that ASUU & members of the academia haven’t called him out to demand an apology based on the following reasons. All known University statues clearly spels out the conditions when an academic gown can be worn, during matriculation and convocations.
To begin with, Dino Melaye appeared in the wrong outfit, because he was putting on a ceremonial academic gown meant for the senior faculty members. So Dino’s first desecration of the academic community was to mock the same system he claims to have many degrees from. He disgraced THEM!
I wonder what was going on in the mind of the VC of ABU when he saw him in a gown. He must have felt betrayed and unforgiving of his defence of Dino, but beyond the euphoria generated by Dino’s appearance in a gown are two serious issues:
Who’s a Senator and when does a Senator become distinguished?
What does Dino Melaye’s mockery of the Nigerian academic community tell us as a people given his position as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ? Two things readily come to mind here:
It is either a Senate of Law breakers or a Senate filled with Comedians. If not…
What does that tell us as a people?
We are being represented by a group of people who can’t differentiate their left from their right. Dino Melaye’s inability to differentiate between a ceremonial and an academic gown also confirms the quality of his thinking and mind.
And more importantly, it leads us to question whether Dino Melaye actually had a 3rd class as he claims. Because if he indeed does, he would know that academic gowns, ceremonial or not are not to be worn outside the fours walls of an academic environment.
This leads us by now, we can see clearly the nexus between Dino’s bastardization of the University system and his false claim to be a graduate of London School of Economics and Harvard. LSE and Harvard have since gone ahead to dismiss his claim of having their degrees. Harvard in particular said he only attended a one week course. LSE couldn’t even find Dino Melaye’s name on their database. The same way his name can’t be found on ABU’s convocation & Alumni list.
So I ask; for how long would we continue to elect misfits & liars like Dino Melaye into positions of authority in this country?How many more of Dino Melaye are we going to continue to live with as a people? At what point are Nigerians going to stop electing crooks? And for how long will this madness continue in our Polity?
Tired of this Dino Melaye always making headlines for the wrong reasons
Hahahaha. Everything goes in Nigeria… what is he doing?