Abdulbasit Ohize writes on Dino Melaye:
Dino was my junior in the secondary school. Right from the secondary school where I first knew him, he was always a “gragra” person. We also met in ABU, he was in Remedial while I was in 100 levels. He read B.A. Geography. Whether he graduated is the issue. The statement by Punch Newspaper is based on a false premise. Yes, Department of Geography was in the Faculty of Sciences, but ABU also offered a Bachelor of Arts in Geography.
He was Daniel Melaiye Jonah in Abdul Aziz Atta Memorial College Okene. “Dino” is a nickname he adopted when he got to ABU. Now, coming to the question of whether he graduated, only ABU can clear the air. For those of us who finished our final exams in ABU in September, 1999, all results were approved by the ABU Senate in 2000.
There were issues of fake results in mid 2000 when we were to go to camp. Some students forged the statement of result to enable them collect their call-up letters. They went to serve while still having outstanding carryovers. Among these students, some went back to resit their carryovers while still serving; others simply thought they had ‘graduated’ and never went back. Was Dino among these two classes of fraudulent graduates? Only ABU can answer. Did he get a waiver as I read in some write-ups? No! ABU never granted waivers to such students because there was a Third Semester for final year students to make up and leave. Dino’s classmates said he didn’t sit for third semester exams. If he graduated, I expected him to show his ABU Certificate not statement of result. We graduated the same year and I got mine in 2006.
If the university wants to clear the air, let the authorities publish the minutes of the Senate meeting where his result was approved. Only ABU can clear the air.
Cool.