Former Kogi State Senator, Dino Melaye, has said he is not bothered by criticism over his display of wealth, insisting that he is more concerned about what God thinks of him than the opinions of people.
Melaye stated this in an interview with KAA Truths published on Thursday, while responding to criticism from Nigerians who accuse him of showing off his wealth and being insensitive to the hardship faced by citizens.
The former lawmaker said he was not concerned about what people said about his lifestyle, adding that such opinions did not affect his life or finances.
“I don’t actually care what people say about me, and I don’t give it any significance. I’m only worried about what God thinks about me. And once I’ve sorted that out, what man thinks is not important. I’ve never given it a thought, and I will not,” he said.
Melaye had earlier been asked whether he thought poor Nigerians judged wealthy people like him too harshly.
Social Media
He said he did not allow such criticism to disturb him, adding that he did not read comments about him on social media.
“I don’t care whether anybody likes it or not. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t read comments, so I don’t feel perturbed, I don’t get disturbed. That won’t stop me from posting the next picture,” he said.
According to Melaye, criticism from people who do not know him should not be enough to make him change how he lives or what he shares publicly.
He said, “When somebody sitting in a low environment, possibly operating on N500 of data, decides to write anything on social media. Why should that be of concern to me, when it won’t affect my next meal, won’t affect my next trip, won’t even affect my bank balance?”
He added that instead of being worried by what others had to say, he preferred to appreciate good things and pray to God for the opportunity to have them.
“But when I see good things, I appreciate them and pray to God: ‘God, I want to get this,’” he said.
Display
Melaye also defended his public display of wealth, saying he regarded the properties and other things he showed on social media as an expression of gratitude to God.
“What you see me do is a declaration of assets. What you see me do is appreciating my God,” he said.
He said he usually acknowledged God whenever he shared pictures of his properties or lifestyle online, stressing that his achievements were not solely the result of his efforts.
“By the time you see me post anything about my house or my properties, I always follow it with a line acknowledging that this is not by my effort, not by my strength, it is only by the grace of the Almighty God, an unmerited favour given my background,” Melaye said.
The former senator said he came from a humble background and believed his current position was not where he was originally expected to be.
“I came from a very lowly background, but God, in his infinite mercy, out of his grace, out of divine favour, I am where I am today. And I should not be ashamed of it,” he said.
Melaye also dismissed suggestions that displaying wealth was necessarily insensitive, saying he believed God wanted people to be successful rather than live in poverty.
“It is not the design of God for you to be poor. God’s intention for you is to be successful,” he said.
He further said his charitable activities were not usually publicised because he considered helping the needy a religious obligation rather than something to use for publicity.
“My widow programme has been running for 27 years. I have an orphanage built by me, 100 beds, funded by me. I have a scholarship for hundreds of students, spanning over 20 years, and it’s ongoing,” he said.
Melaye said he did not consider it necessary to publicise his charitable activities, adding that his focus was on fulfilling what he regarded as his responsibility to the less privileged.
“But these are not issues for you to come to the public glare and make noise about, no, that’s just between you and your God,” he said.
Credit: punchng.com
