Dino Melaye rebukes President Buhari over his ''unpresidential comment'' about National Assembly

Senator Dino Melaye this morning during plenary, rebuked President Buhari for making ''derogatory'' comments about the National Assembly.

Recall that last week while speaking at the state house when he received members of the Buhari Support Organization led by DG of Customs Hameed Ali, President Buhari said he doesn't know what members of the National Assembly do in the chambers.

“What have they been doing? Some of them have been there for 10 years. What have they been doing?,” the president said.

While reacting to the comment, Melaye said the president belittled the national assembly through the “unpresidential” comment and that the comment was an assault on his person having served in the National Assembly for 11 years.

“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 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 begin 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.”

Dino also criticised the DG of Customs for leading the political support group to see President Buhari

“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.”