Dealing with a rebellious character can be tough, no doubt. It’s even tougher dealing with a man who’s got his habits and doesn’t care about the consequences. Such personality is the debonair senator representing Kogi West, Nigeria, Dino Melaye.
Dino Melaye is a wayward rebel, no doubt, but behind his rather crabby nature is a man who’s got class and imbued with intelligence, finesse and panache. This part of him which many probably didn’t know about him he revealed in an interview with a national daily recently when he said though he is blessed with so much money and spends the money as he likes, he doesn’t engage in such nasty stuffs as homosexuality and occultism.
”God has blessed me well but I would rather spend my wealth which isn’t ill-gotten on cars and high end labels, not homosexuality and occultism like some in my position would do.”
Melaye is the proud owner of a garage of exotic and luxury cars estimated at costing billions of naira. He also owns a palatial mansion valued at N1.3 billion ($US6.5 million). The first term Nigerian Senator has 28 of these expensive cars in his garage with a mobile house he has shown off as often as he wishes mostly in the social media. There was a time Melaye posed inside a 2015 Slingshot which was estimated to cost about N4.78 Million ($24,000).
Probably it’s this flashy lifestyle of the Kogi senator, regardless of his other values, that is giving some people conflicting impressions of him.
“Different people have different passions,” he notes in the interview, adding that, “I would say that my dress sense and collections of cars is a passion. I wear things that look nice on me and I try to look smart. For some, homosexuality is their passion and they can spend any amount of money on it. For some, diamond is their passion and they can spend any amount of money on it. For some, blood is their passion, occultism, and they can spend any amount of money to get blood. For some, it’s about bikes and for some, it’s cocaine. So, if my passion is collecting automobiles, I should not be castigated for it. I have no regrets. For me, it’s a passion and looking good for me, it is a hobby.”
Other facts some probably didn’t know about Dino include his starting out as a students’ union activist, his love life controversies, ranging from his separation from his wife, Tokunbo, and the viral rumour that he fathered a child with Yoruba star actress, Bisi Ibidapo-Obe. Also, there was the controversy around his first degree.
Nonetheless, the garrulous senator seems not be bothered about what critics say about his lifestyle.
-Folorunsho Hamsat
