Customs Boss at war with Senate

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has continued to test the power of the Senate to perform oversight functions over federal parastatals.

National Daily gathered that the Customs boss has persistently ignored the resolutions and orders of the Senate affecting his agency and his attitude, including turning down invitations to appear before the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

After failure to honour previous invitations, the Senate renewed their summon of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (retd) to “unfailingly” appear “in plenary in uniform” next Wednesday over the plan to seize vehicles without duty payment.

Ali has continued to ignore the Senate’s directive that he should carry out his official duties in customs uniform.

The Senators are considering drastic action against the Service over the refusal to suspend action on the proposed clamp down on vehicles without paid duty as ordered by the legislature.

The upper legislative chamber had on Tuesday directed Customs to suspend the collection of duties on old and new vehicles already in the country, but the NCS said there was no going back on the decision even as it offered 60 per cent rebate on the duty.

The senators expressed their anger at the plenary this Thursday, reaching a consensus to summon Ali to appear before all the lawmakers in the chamber in Customs uniform, which the NSC boss had refused to wear.

The lawmakers contended that the policy which will not work, only exposed pure incapacitation and incompetence on the part of the agency.

While moving a motion, the Senator representing Kogi west, Dino Melaye said, “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.

“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.

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“The senate has resolved that we invite the CGC to appear in plenary with his uniform to either justify or falsify this statement.”

After the motion was put to a voice vote, it was resolved that Ali should appear before the Senate plenary on Wednesday.

The Senators also called for Ali’s removal should he fail to comply with directive of the Senate.