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Melaye: Buhari Has Assaulted My Person... His Body Language Demeans The National Assembly

“The President, in his address, said he does not know what we are doing. He said some of us have been in the National Assembly for over 10 years and we have nothing to show for it and this and I said this statement is not only unpresidential but is an assault on my person and the institution of the national assembly where I’m proudly a member," Melaye said.

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A lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of making statements that are assaulting his person and are derogatory to the National Assembly.

The lawmaker made the observation on Thursday during a plenary session of the Senate, referring to statements ascribed to the President when he received a delegation of the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) last week.

The statement, considered critical of the National Assembly, had the President querying the roles of lawmakers in the country's governance process.

“What have they been doing? Some of them have been there for 10 years. What have they been doing?,” Buhari was reported to have said.

This however did not settle well with the Kogi lawmaker who resumed the senate on Wednesday after weeks in the hospital, court and detention.

“As a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who came to the national assembly in 2007, about 11 years ago, I am particularly unhappy and my privileged was abused by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

“The President, in his address, said he does not know what we are doing. He said some of us have been in the National Assembly for over 10 years and we have nothing to show for it and this and I said this statement is not only unpresidential but is an assault on my person and the institution of the national assembly where I’m proudly a member.

“Such derogatory statements and insult on the National Assembly should not be allowed to go unnoticed. I’m very proud to be a member of the National Assembly that I have been for the past 11 years.

“One then begins to wonder why you will summon the IGP and he will refuse to come; we are not surprised why director-generals of parastatals or agencies will refuse to honour summons of the National Assembly because the body language of the president is demeaning body language of the national assembly.”

Melaye also registered his displeasure over Hameed Ali’s position as the leader of the support group, saying: “I feel I should bring this to the notice of this senate. The occasion where the president made this statement is an event of the BSO led by comptroller-general of customs

“CG of customs is a rank in a para-military organisation. If the CG customs will be leading a Buhari campaign delegation, it is an aberration to his oath of office.”

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