How Ndume embarrassed me – Saraki

The President of the senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, has claimed that former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, tried to “embarrass” him, by accusing him of importing bullet-proof SUV jeep worth N370million.

The upper Legislative Chamber had in March, suspended Ndume for six months for raising false allegations against Saraki and Kogi West lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye.

Ndume had called for the probe of his colleagues, after a publication in national dailies reported that “the Senate President, Bukola Saraki bought SUV bullet proof Jeep worth N370 million without paying it’s Custom duties.”

However, the Senate President, in an interview with Daily Trust, said Ndume had not given him and Melaye the chance to clear themselves of the allegations

Saraki said, “No, I don’t think so because the issue of the car, when it came up, the management issued a statement. When government appointees buy an official car, it is not their car. Government provides a car to you by virtue of your job.

“The National Assembly Management said no car was imported in Senator Saraki’s name, and Senator Ndume knew that. Even if you think that your colleague is not qualified, did he call him and say ‘Colleague, is it true that you don’t have a genuine certificate?’ There are many ways of addressing these issues.

“Coming to the [Senate] floor escalated the whole issue. What the committee was saying was did you check this thing very well before you came to the floor and said your privilege was… So it is not that he gave me an opportunity to prove it because the management had already said that no car was brought in under my name, and Ndume knew it. He brought the issue to embarrass both myself and the institution. I am not an importer. I don’t agree with you that he gave us a chance to clear ourselves because we had already been cleared.”