By Baron Ike
Comptroller –General of Customs, Retired Colonel Hameed Ali, was in the senate on Thursday, March 16 but without his official uniform and had to be asked out by the Upper Legislative Chambers for ignoring its directives on appropriate dressing.
The Senate therefore declined to accept Ali in plenary over his failure to wear the service Uniform as directed.
When prodded on why he turned down the order on service uniform, the Customs CG who dressed in white caftan told the senators that there is no place in the constitution that mandated the Customs chief to wear uniform while discharging his responsibilities.
However, Ali said he will not wear uniform as he was only appointed to work and reform the Nigeria Customs Service.Ali also said he cannot be mandated to wear customs’ ‘Khaki’ as a retired senior officer of the Nigerian army.
Unfortunately that claim was demystified by a former custom boss Bello Haliru.
Haliru in a recent interview said that wearing uniform as a comptroller general is part of the service’s regulation.
That was the response the senate needed to hear from Ali before the infuriated senators resolved that he should come next week Wednesday, March 22 fully dressed in service uniform before they could attend to him.
On Wednesday, March 15 the Senate agreed to issue a warrant for the arrest Ali to compel him to appear before it on Thursday, March 16.
The Senate’s decision was sequel to Ali’s failure to appear before the Red Chamber that day as directed.
Senate President, BukolaSaraki had read out a letter from Ali explaining why he was not to come on Wednesday, but rather the next day because he was bereaved.
There were protest on Wednesday afternoon in the streets of Anambra State over Ali’s action, causing the protesters to demand his sack immediately.
ARMADANEWS had reported recently that Ali and the Senate were heading for a collision course over Tuesday, March 7 directive to the Customs Chief by the Upper House to shave the idea of planning to seize vehicles of Nigerians over unpaid duty.
The senate had directed Customs to suspend the action, but the NCS went ahead to offer 60 percent rebate on the duty to be paid at a news conference the next day which the upper legislative chambers see as an affront.
Consequently, the senate on Thursday, March 9 summoned Ali, over the plan to seize vehicles without paid duty based on a motion raised by Dino Melaye representing Kogi West. The senate wants him to appear in Customs uniform.
In a voice vote, it was resolved that Ali should appear on Wednesday, March 15.
“The senate will take a resolution and an agency of government will have the temerity, will have the guts, the strength to blatantly disregard the Nigerian senate. It is a very dark day for democracy,” said Melaye.
Melaye continued in his motion: “I’m a member of the Customs Committee. I want to educate some of us, the position of CGC has a rank…. When he appeared before the committee, I asked why he does not wear uniform, and he said uniformed men don’t wear uniform twice.
“I reminded him that he retired as a Colonel and that a General and was appointed as the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, and he proudly wore the uniform of FRSC.
“We need to check this properly, we are taking a decision on behalf of the people, and an agency decides to disrespect the Nigerian senate? If they are taking duty on Nigerian roads, and the President is passing, no Customs officer will stop him and ask for papers, they will rather salute him.
“The Senate has resolved that we invite the CGC to appear in plenary with his uniform to either justify or falsify this statement.”
Although the Customs had suspended the exercise completely, there are other policy issues associated with Ali which the senate is interested in seeking clarification as representatives of the Nigerian people.