DISSECTING DINO’S DAYS IN THE SENATE

Dino Melaye represents a digital generation. He is setting his priorities right. He is touching lives. He is circulating among his people. He is aligning with the right blocs. He is surprisingly playing the game beyond imagination. He is winning souls and giving a ray of hope to many who see him as a model

By The Man of Pen

Abuja, Nigeria, July 28, 2016 – Over the months, I have read very uninformed critiques on Senator Dino Melaye’s performance in the Red Chambers of the National Assembly.

While some are quite amusing, one cannot just but pity the sense of propriety that goes into the boastfully ignorant minds with analytical fallacies and misrepresentation of facts. The first and most important role of a legislator is law making. To this end, the Jarman of Okuta has discharged his duties with admiration and dexterity.

Many who watch the Senate proceedings do so to see the finesse in Dino’s presentation and dedication to a great Nigeria. Yes, he could be blamed for forgetting he is no more an activist on the floor but a Senator. I agree with that theory. But he still speak with the passion and appropriation of an activist, while the academicians will be quick to condemn his style of aggressive pursuit of goals.

Just like the philosophers would said: The end justifies the means. Senator Dino Melaye has been the darling of the Senate. He has changed the demagogue style we used to know. He is physically versatile, intellectually mobile and mentally vigour-loaded. He is the champion of a generation, the voice of the Nigerian youth.

I used to know of a particular Okun leader who never wanted to hear of Dino Melaye for reasons best known to him and I. (My next write up is going to focus on The Misconception about Dino Melaye, so I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet). But we were together recently at a function in Accra and he was arrested by the oratory aesthetics of Senator Dino Melaye. The troublesome instincts in me made me ask why he was so engrossed in what the Senator was talking about. He flashed a suspicious grin. And quipped : “Dino is good but he is troublesome”.

I love those words. His troubles had helped expose a number of high profile corrupt cases in Nigeria. His troubles helped Nigerians to know that a certain Bola Tinubu, the Man from Osun who is the Lord of Bourdillon, is human afterall. His troubles helped to resist the stooge-mania of the Senate in which activities of the would be controller from Bourdillon. His troubles helped expose the ideas of third-term. His troubles checkmated the draconian policy gangsterism under the previous government. He is a voice of reckoning! Back to his achievements, it is common place to measure performance through effects and comparison. Has Dino shown he would be better than Smart Adeyemi?

I followed Smart Adeyemi’s days in the Senate keenly. He was only speaking up when the economic interest of his bosses (Odili, Ibori and others) were threatened. He represented the rich to gain fortunes which were invested in Kwara to develop Kwarans. Imagine the taxes paid to the Kwara State Government by Shekina and other big businesses Smart sited in Kwara.

Those taxes went into providing water for Kwara people and roads while Iyara had one of the worst roads in Kogi State. Senator Dino Melaye always speaks in favour of the poor. He has never forgotten his roots. He is always in his District to identify with his people. He has done empowerment to ameliorate poverty among the people. I am aware he is paying school fees for hundreds of Kogi students.

Smart Adeyemi used to tell us how close he was to President Jonathan. But where are the perks of such affinity? Our roads became worse in his time. But let me say he tried in facilitating the Kabba-Ayetoro road in the 11th hour to probably deceive his people into granting him an undeserved third term.

Within his first year in the Senate, Jarman has already facilitated the rehabilitation of the road that is really causing the biggest headache in Kogi State : Kabba-Obajana road. The bad condition of the road is the main reason for the unbearable traffic along the Lokoja / Okene road.

Within nine months, Dino Melaye achieved what Smart Adeyemi failed to achieve in 8 years. Currently, the Agba Akin is redefining representative governance in Kogi West.

The Reason for Hope

Troublesome people hate failure. They don’t want to be suppressed by their failings. They love success in order to keep beating their chest. I see Dino doing that . What we have seen so far is enough reason to summon the audacity of hope.
Dino Melaye represents a digital generation. He is setting his priorities right. He is touching lives. He is circulating among his people. He is aligning with the right blocs. He is surprisingly playing the game beyond imagination. He is winning souls and giving a ray of hope to many who see him as a model.

Dino Melaye has always been a community person. He has always lived with his people. He knows what they pack. And he is prepared to make his generation proud.

What the younger generation do not know is the sacrosanctity of the need for Dino to succeed. The old feel we can’t do it. We know we can. When Dino succeeds, a generation has succeeded and retain a bragging right. The old men do not like the fact that an under 50 is representing them in the Senate and doing well.

I do not have to be told that I am naturally a DINOIST. Dinoism is a movement of liberation. Dinoism is an ideology that is fast spreading like wild fire. It is a movement of people who believe in Kogi and Nigeria, a movement of vibrant minds that want practical change, a movement of abhorrent of corruption. Dinoism is a force that is inimitable and effective, a tool for unity, development and anti-corruption. Thanks for reading again.

The Man of Pen is a mobile thinking human