Dino Melaye's Name Missing from ABU Website Alumni Website

                                 
The certificate scandal involving the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District , Dino Melaye, may be far from over , as his name was not found on the Ahmadu Bello University alumni website, SUNDAY PUNCH reports .


Melaye’ s trouble began on Monday , March 20 , when an online news medium , SaharaReporters, reported that the senator did not graduate from ABU for his first degree .

The senator had claimed that he obtained B . A in Geography from the institution .
Melaye had boasted that he was currently a student in ABU pursuing his seventh degree , adding , “ Go round all the UNIS (universities ) I attended in digging more . ”
A day after the news broke, Melaye , while speaking on the floor of the Senate , also addressed himself as an “authentic graduate” of ABU .

On Saturday, an exhaustive online search conducted by our correspondents – from the 1998 / 1999 alumni set to 2007 – for Melaye’ s name on the website of ABU Alumni Association did not give any result that shows that the embattled lawmaker is a graduate of the school .

His name, Daniel Jonah Melaye, as it appeared on a statement of result by the university , when searched , returned with zero result .

When SUNDAY PUNCH searched for ‘ Daniel, ’ ‘ Jonah ’ and ‘ Melaye ’ separately , different names came up .
A search for ‘ Melaye’ brought up only one result : Melaye Sunday Ola (Biology Education ), who graduated in 1980 .

Another search for ‘ Jonah ’ came up with four different names: Bawa Jonah Seth Besanhi (BSc Geography ; graduated in 1973 ); Birga Jonah (BSc Geography ; graduated in 2007 ); Kaigama Jonah Ishaku (BSc Geography ; graduated in 2011 ); and Ndasala Jonah (BSc Geography ; graduate in 1987 ) .

There were 10 results when ‘ Daniel’ was searched : Abin Daniel John (BSc Geography ; graduated in 1978 ); Adamu Kantsan Daniel (Institute Of Education Geography ; graduated in 1992 ); Aniro Daniel Rabo (BSc Geography ; no graduation date indicated ); Atenji Daniel E . (BSc Geography ; graduated in 1986 ); Beshiru Daniel (BSc Geography ; graduated in 1980 ); Dada Daniel Adefila (BSc Geography ; graduated in 1979 ); Awubra Daniel Akinkwe (Geography ; graduated in 2002 / 2003 ); Daniel Bosede Biddy (BSc Geography graduated in 1983 ); Daniel Dogara Garba (BSc Geography ; graduated in 2010 ); and Daniel Ezra Jatau (BSc Geography ; graduated in 2011 ).

When our correspondent called the ABU Public Relations Officer , Mr . Adamu Mohammed , about 8 pm on Saturday to find out why the senator’ s name was not on the alumni website, his line rang out . On the second trial , the line was switched off .

A text message also sent to his mobile line on the matter had yet to be replied to as of press time .
When SUNDAY PUNCH contacted the President , ABU Alumni Association, Prof . Ahmed Tijanni - Mora , he said only the university could confirm if Melaye graduated from the institution .
He said , “ The registrars of universities are in the best position to provide information about who attended their universities or not . ”

Last week , ABU ’ s spokesman, Mohammed , when contacted by The PUNCH promised that the institution would come out with its position on Wednesday , which it failed to do as of the time of filing this report .
Saturday PUNCH ’ s March 25 edition had obtained a document which revealed that the senator got a statement of result with the logo of ABU .

The statement of result read , “This is to certify that Daniel Jonah Melaye having completed an approved course of study and passed the prescribed examinations as , under the authority of the Senate been awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Geography ) with Third Class honours . ”
The statement , issued by the Office of the Registrar , Academic Office , was dated February 3 , 2000 , and signed by B . B . Mshelthlila .

It was , however , observed that while the statement of result had the name “ Daniel Jonah MELAYE ”, the senator’ s National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate , which was issued on July 8 , 2001 , read “ Melaye Daniel ;” his diploma certificate issued by the University of Jos on August 3 , 2006 read “Daniel Dino Melaye ”, and his Senior School Certificate in 1992 read ‘ Melaiye Daniel Jonah O ’ with Melaye being wrongly spelt .

Similarly , the University of Abuja, which Melaye claimed he had also attended , refused to comment on whether the senator obtained a master ’ s degree from the institution .
The Vice Chancellor of UNIABUJA , Prof . Michael Adikwu , responding to an inquiry by one of our correspondents on Saturday , said , “ Issues of certificates should be directed to the registry . I heard that (allegation against Dino Melaye) also , but I will find out later . ”